


String Theory - Extras

by CrushingOnSans



Series: Free To Us [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, One-Shot Collection, Soul Bond, osc - Freeform, string theory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2018-11-17 06:39:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11270064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrushingOnSans/pseuds/CrushingOnSans
Summary: The place I'm going to put extra scenes that will not make it into String Theory or Seasons Change. Everything here is canon, and will be clearly marked and explained. Just be warned in general for spoilers, I'll warn you if it's anything momentous, though, and tell you which chapters/stories it would have taken place during.





	1. Elopement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rottenberry. This scene takes place somewhere nearish the end of Seasons Change, three years before the start of String Theory.
> 
> Why Blue and Razz are not married, despite having one of the most open and powerful soul bonds ever seen in the history of monsterkind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some headcanons you need to know for this about the way monster society works in the String Theory universe. Since monsters have heats, sex is considered more casual by monsters as a whole than it is by us. It still does mean something if done in a romantic way between two people who love one another, but there is next to no judgement for having casual sex. However, soul bonds couldn't be more special than they are. They are to monsters what sex used to be for us, really only meant to be between married couples. It's not unheard of, of course, it's just unusual and causes a few raised eyebrows here and there. (By the way, unmarried partners with a bond are called soulmates.) Then, marriage for monsters is very much a public affair. You invite everyone you know and some people you don't and you exchange vows and celebrate. Family is a huge part of this, and it is very much expected for your family's blessing to be saught before you get married. So if Blue were to have a wedding and Stretch wasn't there, with everyone he knows knowing that he is close to his brother, it would be shameful and all-around awful for everyone. If you have any questions, let me know!

“Hey, stop looking so nervous!”

Razz stopped fiddling with his scarf long enough to look up at Blue, irritated. “I barely know what nervousness  _ is _ .” He sighed, reaching up to rub a hand across his sockets. “There’s no fucking way he’s going to be happy about this. He only knows me from the stories Pa-- Slim has told him, and  _ that _ me was..is...I wasn’t--”

Blue carefully took hold of his hands, pulling them forward and into his chest. His eyes were practically shining with hope,  _ happiness _ . God, sometimes it felt like the only place Razz could recognize happiness was when he was looking in Blue’s eyes. Inwardly, he made a face at his own cheesiness. 

“Well, he may have reservations, but in the end, all Papy wants for me is happiness! That’s what brothers in this world are supposed to do, help each other find a happy ending! And there’s  _ no way _ he can’t see how happy you make me.” Well, at least his cheesiness was matched by his partner’s.

“No, but he can perfectly well imagine how badly I can hurt you. Even  _ I _ don’t know that I won’t, Blue. This isn’t--”

Shaking his head quickly, Blue leaned forward to press a kiss to his mouth. Razz returned it without hesitation, even his own reservations not enough to stop him from treasuring each and every gesture of affection from the other. “The soul bond will help with that! You won’t have to worry about working to keep your positive emotions all the time when I can just give them to you!”

Razz did his best not to make a face. In his world, a soul bond had been… well, more of a declaration of ownership than of trust and love. When Blue had first suggested the idea, he had reeled back in horror, unable to understand how the other could possibly think that was a good idea. But he understood, now, what it was supposed to mean, here, and he...well, he  _ wanted _ it. He wanted  _ everything _ with Blue. This bright, beautiful skeleton was already his whole world, and they’d only been reunited for a few months. He could only imagine how things would grow for both of them, spending the rest of their lives side by side.

“Ready?”

He looked up, meeting the other’s eyes. Sometimes it seemed like every time he looked at Blue, he was struck by how brightly blue those eyes were. The first time he’d seen them, they’d been  _ too _ bright, jarringly so, but now...

How could someone  _ so _ bright love someone like  _ him _ ?

“No. But let’s get it over with.”

Blue smiled at him encouragingly, then tugged on his hand, leading him through the door of his room and down the stairs of the small home he shared with his brother. “Papyrus!”

“Yeah, bro? I thought you were--” 

Stretch poked his head up from the other side of the couch, having probably been napping for the third time today. He cut himself off when he saw Blue and Razz’s joined hands, brow furrowing in barely-concealed anger, but Razz could see the spark of fear in his eyelights. That fear wasn’t for himself, never for himself, but for his brother. Stretch had made it all too clear, time and time again, what he thought of this relationship, where he thought it would lead for Blue. Razz wouldn’t pretend not to understand why he was so afraid for his brother. Stretch had spent enough time with Slim, heard enough stories--

A wave of panic broke through the gap in his LV, nearly overwhelming him with the force of it. He barely stopped himself from cursing aloud from surprise. Blue didn’t seem to notice, continuing to pull him closer to his brother, so Razz took a deep breath, forcing his soul to calm.

“We have to talk to you about something!” Blue’s voice had calmed considerably, but he was still excited. Of course he knew how this was likely to end. He just held out the hope that  _ maybe _ Stretch would be okay with it. That was just one of the things that made Blue the way he was, the thing that had led them to where they were now. The firm belief that if  _ anyone _ tried, they could be better. They just had to try.

Stretch looked between them doubtfully, then sighed as they rounded the couch, pushing himself up to fully sit and be able to look at them. “What did you need, bro?”

“Well!” Razz could see the nervousness in Blue’s posture, and he hid a grin despite his own reservations. Fuck, he was adorable. “We have some news!”

Eyes narrowing, Stretch spared Razz a suspicious glance before returning his attention to Blue. “Okay…?”

Blue opened his mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again. Razz stifled a laugh, earning a mock-glare from Blue. Stretch was still watching them in confusion, his hostility seeming to grow every time he glanced at Razz.

“WellyouseeitscustomarytospeaktotheclosestfamilyandgettheirblessingandyouremyonlyfamilysoI--”

“Whoa, whoa!” Stretch held up his hands, eyes going wide at the onslaught pouring from Blue’s mouth. “What?”

Blue took a deep breath, squeezing Razz’s hand. He’d told him, once, that it helped him focus, the reminder that Razz was there beside him instead of across the multiverse grounding him. 

“Razz and I want to get married.”

“ _ What?!” _

Razz barely stopped himself from growling at the tone, magic flaring for a split second before he reigned it back in. Even that single word sounded like a threat, and even now his LV was screaming at him to attack. He took another deep breath at the same time as Blue, the other continuing despite the obvious lack of support from his only family. 

“As you know, we’ve known one another for quite a long time, and I’m sure you remember me telling you about Razz’s LV going down because of me, and we just…” he seemed to be searching for the words that would make the look in Stretch’s eyes fade into something pleasant, as unlikely as that outcome was. “I’ve always kind of thought that once I find that person, I’d  _ know _ , and I’ve never known  _ anything  _ more than I know that I’m supposed to--”

“No.”

Blue’s speech came to a stuttering halt as his brother spoke, orange smoke drifting from his sockets in anger. Razz shuddered, holding himself back from retaliation. Fuck, was this even worth it?

Then Blue shifted beside him, and he glanced over to see his drawing his chin up, shoulders setting in determination.

Yeah. 

Yeah, it was worth it.

“No, what, Papyrus?”

“No, I’m not allowing this! I’m especially not giving you my  _ blessing! _ ” Stretch spat out the word like it was an insult. Blue’s eyes flashed with hurt, and he was quick to backpedal. “It’s nothing to do with you, bro. Nothing at all, you deserve to be happy! It’s just…” his eyes flicked back to Razz. “ _ You’re _ a...murderer. Not so long ago, you were horrifyingly abusive to the _ one _ person that loved you. Or whatever passed for love in a world like the one you come from. I’m  _ not _ letting that happen to my only family.”

Razz lifted his own chin, battling back the confused emotions roiling through his soul. “I don’t deny my sins. I haven’t even tried, since…” he trailed off, gesturing to Blue. “Stretch, I know that you only have experience with the worst of me, but I haven’t even been capable of loving someone until Blue. He’s…” Fuck. Fuck, he couldn’t get emotional. This was  _ not _ the time. “I would  _ never _ hurt him.”

Stretch snorted. “What, like you didn’t put those scars on him? Like he doesn’t wear a scarf and gloves to cover up what  _ you _ \--”

“Papyrus,  _ he _ didn’t do that to me!” Blue interrupted, stepping forward. “You know that he didn’t, I’ve  _ told _ you that! He’s the one that stopped worse from happening!”

Stretch’s doubt was easily seen reflected from his eyelights, and he shook his head again. “No. Just...no. I will not, and never will, give my blessing. I do not support this, I do not support you tying yourself to someone who’s so…” he searched for words for a moment, then sighed, giving up. “It’s not happening.”

And with that, he pushed himself to his feet, disappearing into a shortcut within the next breath. 

Razz realized, then, that Blue was crying. Immediately, he turned, pulling the other into his arms and kissing the top of his head as gently as he could. “Blue, don’t cry. It’s not worth crying. We don’t have to be bonded for you to be the best thing that’s ever happened to--”

“No!” Blue pulled back just enough to look him in the eye. His own were still filled with tears, but his eyelights were determined. “Razz, I  _ want _ to be bonded to you. I love you! That’s what...I want to be able to love you completely, for the rest of my life! Able to support you, help you through your struggles!” He sniffed, leaning forward to bury his face in the other’s chest again. His voice came again, this time muffled. “I just...you make me happy. You really do. I would...tear the world apart, to be with you. I-I  _ have _ , I…”

Razz tightened his hold, breathing deeply as he’d learned to do. “I love you too. Like I’ve never been capable of before. You know that.”

They just stood there for a few long moments, holding each other tightly as Blue continued to cry. Razz could feel something almost-stirring at the bottom of his soul, but unlike the happy emotions, he had no desire to chase it down, force it out into the open. 

Then Blue gasped, and pulled back, looking up at Razz like he’d solved the greatest mystery of the universe. “Razz, we can’t have a  _ wedding _ without my family!”

He stared down at him, uncomprehending. “...yes?”

“Who says we need my brother’s blessing just to be bonded?!”

~~~

When Razz had first ended up in Swap, Stretch had been less than pleased when Blue immediately invited him to stay with them. He knew their history, but whether it was in fear of his brother’s corrupted “innocence” or the possibility of his injury, it didn’t seem to comfort him. He had done his best to find another place for Razz to go, but with Slim now staying with the Tale brothers and the Fell brothers having the smallest apartment, there really wasn’t much other choice. So, begrudgingly, he’d tried to instate a rule that Razz was only allowed to sleep on the couch. That had lasted all of half a night, until Blue showed up, leaning over the back of it and stage-whispering, “You know I’m both an adult and the older brother, right? You don’t actually have to sleep out here.”

The next morning, Blue had silenced any possible complaints from his brother with a single look, dryly commenting, “I’m glad you can wake up on time to invade my privacy, Papy, but maybe you should get out of my room and go get ready for work.” Stretch had opened and closed his mouth for a moment, looking between them, then huffed and left, closing the door solidly. Blue had snickered, turning over and burying his face into Razz’s shirt. “Honestly,” he’d murmured, sighing. “What would he have done if we’d been having--”

Razz had burst out laughing, then paused abruptly, surprised to hear the sound come out of his own mouth. 

He smiled at the memory, now, watching as Blue pulled a loose-fitting gray shirt over his head. He could see the other’s fingers shaking in nervousness, for once not wearing his gloves. He could see the scars that lined his wrists, and held back a wince. He knew firsthand how lucky he was not to have lost his hands, but it still almost physically hurt to see the remnants of his failure. 

Blue was looking at him expectantly, he realized. He looked up to meet his eyes, doing his best to smile encouragingly. “Are you ready?” he asked, voice quiet so as not to disturb Blue’s brother in the next room. 

Nodding, Blue crossed the room, leaning forward to prop his arms on either side of where Razz sat and press a kiss to his mouth. Razz’s hands came up to cup his cheeks, smiling against the other’s teeth as a pang of happy longing rushed through him. That was a feeling that came easily, when Blue was around. 

They broke apart, and Blue grinned, excitement and nervousness warring in his eyelights as he tugged Razz up to stand. “Alright. Lead on.”

Razz smiled back, the other’s emotions almost contagious. The thought sent another wave of nervousness through him as he remembered exactly how contagious Blue’s emotions would soon be. He led the way over to the window, unclicking the lock and pushing it open to peer out at the ground. Then, gesturing for Blue to move aside, he took a few steps back, getting a running start before leaping out the second-story window, landing in a roll and quickly spinning around and holding up his arms. 

Blue looked at him doubtfully, quickly figuring out what Razz wanted him to do. “Are you sure?” he signed, mouthing silently along with the gestures. 

Squinting to make out the words in the dark, Razz nodded, signing back, “I’ll catch you, I promise.”

With that, Blue shrugged, disappearing from the window before leaping out just as Razz had. As promised, Razz positioned himself below, looping his arms around the other as he came into reach and beginning to spin in an attempt to lessen the impact. Then, suddenly, his eyes flew wide as he felt his feet slip out from under him. He barely held in a shout of surprise as he suddenly found himself flat on his back, Blue sprawled across his ribcage. 

He huffed in annoyance as he felt Blue shaking against him, looking down to see his hand covering his mouth tightly in an attempt to hold in his laughter. Rolling his eyes, he shoved the other off of him, unsuccessful holding in a smile of his own. 

“Razz,” Blue stage-whispered, and he glanced back, raising a brow. “I think I just  _ fell _ for you.”

Immediately, he bent down, scooping up a handful of fallen leaves and chucking them at his partner in annoyance. Blue just kept laughing silently, brushing leaves off his shirt as he pushed himself up to stand. 

They walked side-by-side to the driveway, Razz side-eyeing the house every few seconds to make sure Stretch hadn’t woken up. They stopped next to Blue’s motorcycle, and he fiddled with something or another that Razz didn’t even try to understand before beginning to carefully roll it down the driveway, Razz in tow. 

He smiled to himself, glancing back at the house one last time before looking back at Blue. He was watching the path ahead of them carefully, making sure nothing was in the way that could hurt his bike. Or dent it. Or scratch it. Razz snickered as he remembered the first time Blue had shown him this thing, proudly brandishing the jar of wax when Razz had asked what he was doing, rubbing a cloth into the blue and black metal. “It protects it!”

Red had stuck his head through the front door at that, over for some reason or another, and asked, “Blue, are you jacking off on your bike again?”

“What?! No!”

“Ohh!” he’d said, grinning sideways at Razz before returning his attention to Blue. “I get it! You’re protecting it!”

“Yes, that’s what I just--”

"Wouldn't want your kagaseeki pirate 9000 to get breathed on wrong" 

"Red, it's a kawasaki ninja zx-6r, and you--" 

"Sorry, your capybara ninja zoey 101"

Blue had groaned in frustration, shooting a disapproving look at Razz and his amused grin before flapping his free hand at them. “Go inside and bother Papyrus! I’m busy!”

“Razz.”

He jumped, not expecting the normal volume after all their sneaking, and looked up at Blue. They were at the end of the driveway, and Blue had slung one leg over the bike, watching him curiously and holding out his extra helmet in his direction. Razz grabbed it, pulling it over his skull as Blue did the same, then climbing on behind him and wrapping his arms around Blue’s middle. 

He felt Blue tap the side of his helmet against Razz’s and he smiled, tightening his grip as Blue started the bike, starting down the road. 

The darkness pressed in around them, the streetlights providing a barely-there glow with which to see by. In the distance, Razz could see the lights in town sparkling, and he found himself with a renewed appreciation that the swap brothers had chosen their home further out in the country.

He allowed himself to relax, his chest pressed to Blue’s back and his helmet settling forward to rest against the back of his cervical vertebrae. The wind whipped past them, but he was still warm, the other’s body heat shared with his and making it seem as though they were in their own small bubble. 

They drove for a long time, leaving even the outskirts of the city and making their way towards the spot they’d previously decided to go.Then, Blue took a turn, slowing on a dirt road that lead up a hill, to what Razz had come to realize was his favorite spot in the city. In the months that he had been here, he had never seen another person on this hill, and there was just something about looking up and seeing the clear sprawl of the stars that seemed to leave him breathless. 

The bike came to a stop, and Blue switched it off, pulling the keys out and putting them in his pocket, but didn’t otherwise move, hands coming down to settle on Razz’s knees. 

Razz smiled, tightening his hold, taking his cue from the other and staying right where he was. 

After a few seconds, he felt the rumble of Blue’s laughter from where he was pressed up against his back, then the other reached up and pulled off his helmet, Razz following suit before stepping off the bike. He looked back to see a spark of nervousness in the other’s eyes, still sitting still on the motorcycle and just kind of...staring at him. 

“Are you sure you want to--”

Blue’s eyes snapped up to meet his, and while the nervousness was still very much present, it was overwhelmed by a sort of giddy happiness that had Razz’s smile back in full force. “Yes! I do!”

With that, he stood up, holding out a hand for Razz’s helmet before putting them both in the compartment under the seat and pulling out the thick blanket he’d put inside yesterday in preparation for this. 

He tossed the blanket at Razz, who caught it, starting across the grass to their usual spot, tucked almost into a copse of trees, but with a clear view of the night sky spread above them. He unfolded the blanket, laying it out on the ground and turning just in time to find Blue standing behind him, the nervousness creeping back up again as he watched.

Razz swallowed his own small reservations, turning to hold his arms out for the other. Blue stepped into them immediately, wrapping his arms around Razz’s waist and burying his face in his chest. 

“Are you ready?”

It sounded like such a simple question, but he took his time to answer, squeezing his eyes shut and concentrating on the feel of Blue in his arms. 

“Yes. Are you?”

“More than I can tell you,” came the quiet response, and Razz felt the other’s hands curling into the cloth of his shirt. “I love you so much, Razz.”

As often as Blue said that, it had never once held the weight it did now. It had never once felt like so much of a promise, a statement of unchanging fact. Razz felt it weigh on his broken soul, just for a moment, before it lifted again. 

“I love you, too.” 


	2. Sloppy Seconds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was watching the new Chris D’Elia comedy special on Netflix and there was this joke where he was talking about the reality of love and there was this part I really fuckin liked. He said, “Know what love is? If I could distill love down into one moment, this right here would be the moment of love, right here,” and he looks to the side and goes, “Fuckin... _move_.”  
>  THEN, Ollie_Oxen_Free showed me this song that is just...perfect for Kustard, especially String Theory Kustard.  
> So this is set an unspecified amount of time after the end of String Theory. At least a couple months, if not a year or two. The spacing between the different events is also unspecified so it could stretch out anywhere within that time.

“I am actually going to push you in front of a fucking bus.”

Sans just snickered, rolling  _ yet-a-fucking-gain _ further into Red’s space. “I’m not even doing anything,” he muttered, tossing one arm over Red’s ribcage. 

Red rolled his eyes, sitting up partway and gesturing at the opposite side of the bed. “Sans, do you  _ see _ that?”

“See what?”

“Your side of the fucking bed!” Sans was snickering again, and Red made an attempt to shove him back over. “My whole fucking leg and, like, the vast majority of my dick is hanging off the bed over here and they filmed The fucking Hobbit in the space behind you!  _ Move _ !”

“Naaahhhhh…”

Red groaned loudly, collapsing back into the mattress and kicking the other in the leg. Sans just ignored him, nuzzling aggressively into his ribcage. Red huffed, papping him on the back of the skull. “Stop it, you’re so weird.”

“You smell wonderful.”

“You smell like you need to be laying on your half of the bed.”

“You seem salty about something.”

“ _ I wonder what… _ ”

“No clue, but I’m sure both you and your invisible dick are suffering greatly.”

He just grumbled again, tossing aside the three inches of blanket Sans had yet to steal from him before standing up and turning to look down at his fiancee. Sans grinned up at him, tugging the blankets up under his chin and letting his eyelights blow out wide. 

Red was not impressed. “You’re not cute.”

“Fuck off, yes I am and you know it.”

“Hmphf.”

He leaned forward, settling one knee on the edge of the mattress and tucking his arms under Sans’ knees and the back of his neck, then scooped him up into a bridal carry. Sans grinned at him, nuzzling into his clavicle and leaving fluttery kisses along his neck. Red raised a brow, then turned around, crouching quickly before depositing Sans on the bare carpet, then spinning around and diving into the middle of the bed. Immediately, he spread out his arms and legs to take up as much space as possible, fake-snoring loudly. 

Sans just laid there for a minute, working through his disbelief, then snorted loudly and stood, crossing to the bed and throwing himself sideways across Red’s ribcage. He brought the blanket with him, letting it settle comfortably across himself and completely cover Red’s face. 

He heard a muffled groan, then Red’s voice came, muffled by the thick comforter.

“I want a divorce.”

Sans ducked beneath the blanket to look down at the other, grinning. “We aren’t married, Red.”

“Ugh. We should do that. Will you marry me?”

“That question has been asked and answered, Red.”

“...so is that a no?”

Sans snorted, picking up a nearby pillow and smacking him with it before sliding off his chest, cuddling back into his side and pulling the blankets over to cover both of them. Red huffed mock-irritably, then scooted over, letting Sans have some space. 

They were quiet for a few minutes, their breathing slowing and bodies relaxing. 

“If I wake up with your hand shoved in my arm again…”

“Shhhhhhh…”

 

~~~

" _Will you just leave me alone?!_ "

Sans slammed the door in his face, and Red growled under his breath, swinging around to deliver a solid punch to the wall across the hall from the bathroom. Then he spun back around, sarcastically shouting, "Oh, I'm so  _sorry_ for trying to communicate! Like you keep  _fucking_ telling me to!"

He heard Sans let out a noise of frustration, then the door was wrenched back open and the other was up in his face. "Don't you turn my own words against me! I don't want you to communicate about how  _I'm_ always the bad guy, how this little shit is always  _my_ fault! I swear to Asgore, it's like you can't see past your own goddamn ego!"

"What ego?!" he replied angrily, his voice on the edge of a shout, just barely under control. "You take every opportunity you can to undermine me, tell me how much I'm screwing up!"

Sans opened his mouth, but Red huffed angrily, spinning around and stomping down the stairs to the living room. He heard Sans' annoyed groan, then his footsteps as he started to follow him. "I do  _not_ \--"

"I thought you wanted me to leave you alone!!" Red cut him off, pulling open a cupboard door and tugging out a spare pillow and blanket, tossing them on the couch. 

There was a moment of silence, then Sans' incredulous voice. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going the fuck to sleep, what does it look like?"

"...on the couch?"

Red turned a glare on him, and Sans' face hardened, eyes squinting like they did when he was trying not to cry. "Fine! Fine, see if I care! I hope you enjoy sleeping out here because you can just  _fuck off_!"

Then he shortcutted away, presumably up to the bedroom.

Red sat heavily on the couch, rubbing at his sockets with the heels of his hands. He could feel a sharp edge of guilt to his mind, but he pushed it away.  _Fuck_ Sans, fuck his...his bullshit, his stupid fucking expectations. Red wasn't perfect, and Sans needed to stop expecting him to be.

He tossed back the blanket, stretching out on the couch and covering up. It took him a few moments before he could close his eyes, shifting to get comfortable and failing. 

Fuck him. 

~~~

Red woke up to a quiet house. He was confused at first, peering around blearily and wondering why the TV clock said it was 8am and he was sleeping on the couch. 

Then he remembered, and he felt the sting of angry tears behind his eyes. He pushed himself up to sit, sighing heavily. His spine felt misaligned from sleeping on the couch, and he had a headache. Groaning, he stood, glancing up the stairs and wondering how much time he had before Sans would be down. If he got ready quickly, he could leave for work before he had to talk to him, avoid the inevitable confrontation just a little bit longer. He'd have to hurry, since he was pretty sure Sans had the early--

He came to an abrubt stop in the kitchen, Sans staring at him guiltily from his place next to the toaster. There were a few seconds of awkward silence, then the toast popped up, and Sans turned away to take it out. 

Red just stood still for a few moments, unsure exactly what to do. He was about to move, whether to leave or proceed, he had no idea, when Sans spoke. 

"I'm sorry."

He was clutching at the edge of the counter, and Red could see the trembling of his phalanges that meant he was on the edge of tears. 

"I'm so sorry, Red. I-I know I...I expect too much sometimes, put pressure on you. I don't...I don't want it to be--"

"Sans."

It was out of his mouth before he'd really thought about it, but as Sans glanced back at him with watery eyelights, he sighed, scratching at the back of his neck. "We...we don't have to...I-I mean, I'm sorry too. Didn't mean to explode like that."

"It's okay."

He shook his head, gaze dropping to the floor, shame filling him. "Nah...it wasn't."

They stood quietly. 

"Do you want some toast?"

Red looked up at the quiet question, meeting Sans' eyes again before sighing. "Yeah. Yeah, that'd be nice."

Sans nodded, turning to put more bread in. 

"Thank you."

~~~

"What about cake?"

Red looked up, scrunching his brow. "Uh...we should have some?" Sans nodded from beside him, echoing the statement. Fell glared down at the two of them, then sighed, blue magic rifling through the huge binder he'd picked out for the occasion. 

"Do you prefer chocolate or vanilla?"

"Chanilla," Red said in the same moment that Sans said, "Vocolate." They grinned at each other subtly, low-fiving under the table. 

Fell groaned, and if he were able to, he would have been rubbing at the space between his sockets in frustration. "Do you have any opinions? About anything?"

They thought for a moment, then Sans piped up, "We should make it minion-themed."

Red reeled back in horror, staring at his fiancee like he'd never seen him before, then spinning to face his brother. "How fast can we call this thing off?" Sans smacked him, and Fell rolled his eyes again. 

"I swear to Asgore, you two..."

~~~

The coffee machine beeped, letting them know that it was ready. Red rubbed a hand across his face as Sans poured the cups, trying to force himself to wake up. A cup was placed in front of him, and he took it gratefully, sipping at the bitter liquid and making a face at how hot it was.

Sans laughed softly, setting down his own cup and crossing the room again to the docking station so that he could put on his phone. He leaned forward, propping his elbows on the counter so that he could scroll through his music. Red sat back in his chair, admiring the view and smiling softly.

After a moment, Sans looked back over his shoulder, one brow raised as a song started to play. Red just smiled, and Sans shrugged, standing up straight and coming back to the table.

Red watched him for a few seconds, then grinned, standing up carefully and holding out a hand to the other.

Sans just sipped at his coffee, peering up at him in confusion.

“C’mere, nerd, I wanna dance with you.”

“Ugh...why would I want to dance with _you…_?” Sans’ voice was filled with mirth, and he crossed his legs, tapping one cheek in thought. Red just rolled his eyes, taking the mug out of his hands and setting it aside before pulling Sans to his feet and pulling him close. The other almost immediately yawned in his ear, and he snickered, reaching down to wrap his arms around Sans’ waist. They just stood that way for a while, swaying back and forth and holding each other almost too closely.

“I don’t think this actually counts as dancing,” Sans whispered next to his skull, and Red sighed.

“Sorry, do we need to learn how to swing dance or something?” Without waiting for a response, he pulled away, grabbing onto Sans’ hands and spinning him around. The song changed as Sans laughed, and Red smiled, trying to swing the other in a circle and failing miserably.

Sans’ laughter increased in volume as the chorus came around, and Red started to sing. “Cold pizza, Tie-dye shirts--” he let go with one hand to snap the collar of Sans’ shirt against his clavicle, prompting more snorting. “--Broken hearts, give‘m here, give‘m here!” He attempted a dip, and nearly dropped him. “Hand-me-downs, give me give me leftovers...” He pulled him back up, settling a hand on Sans’ back in the place where his ribcage ended. “Give me give me sloppy seconds, Give em here, give em here…”

He looked at Sans’ face, meeting his eyes and smiling widely. “I don’t care, where you’ve been…” Sans’ voice joined his as he closed his eyes, dancing off-beat with his hands in Red’s. “How many miles, I still love you!”

Red’s voice dropped away as he listened to the other singing the lyrics, pulling him forward into more of a ballroom-dance pose and shifting his shoulders with the beat, stepping in a sort-of circle. Sans’ eyes opened, and he tilted his head to one side, smiling up at Red like he was the most important thing in the universe. Then he leaned up, going on tiptoe to plant a kiss on his noseridge before pulling away.

“I love you and everything, but I _really_ need some coffee, Red.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

But he was smiling, and his eyes followed Sans to the table as he went and sat. Then he sighed, following after him and picking up his own drink. They sat in companionable silence, listening to the song that continued to play in the background.

It was a minute or two before Red realized Sans was still singing. It was under his breath, between sips of coffee, but he was definitely singing, and as he listened, he felt his soul warming. It wasn’t good, not at all, but...it was a reminder that no matter how much blanket he stole, and no matter how much he couldn’t sing or dance, he was still _here_. He was still everything Red had never known he needed.

“ _And there is not a single place that I would rather be...I'm fucked up just like you are, and you're fucked up just like me…”_

Sans looked up, then, and seemed to realize he was listening, flushing a dark blue and shutting his mouth tightly. His eyelights were sparkling with mirth, and Red found his grin turning doofy.

How did he ever get this lucky?

 


	3. Character Explorations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today I found three songs for each of the String Theory characters, and did a Megalovania character exploration about them. I highly suggest also checking out the songs because those are very spot-on for their characters.
> 
> [Playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqVcv6TydN72U8DDhOTPAYRIJQwWIaMJq) of the songs

**Sans-**

_ Are You With Me Lost Frequencies _

Another. Another.  _ Another _ . 

Over and over and over and fucking  _ over _ again, round and round we go. 

He’s tired. He’s so tired. Physically exhausted, sure, but there is just this mental exhaustion weighing him down, and it’s so  _ constant _ and repetitive that when something new happens, he doesn’t immediately catch onto the horror of it. 

He’s so tired that even as his friends are dying in front of him, ripped apart by the void, all he can bring himself to do is turn to his sobbing brother and say, “Papyrus, it’s okay.”

He just cries harder, though, but Sans isn’t quite sure how to comfort him. 

“Papyrus. Papyrus, they’ll be right back. It’s like a vacation, they’ll come back…” 

“Sans, h-how could you  _ say _ \--”

“It’s okay.”

 

_ Lost Boy Troye Sivan _

The door shuts behind him, and Sans stifles another sob, pressing the back of his hand against his mouth and his whole body against the wood of the door. He feels disgusting; humiliated and used and just…

_ I thought he was my friend _ .

How could he have been so stupid? How could he have believed, even for one second, that he was...worth it? That anyone could ever look at him and see  _ him _ , see someone worth loving because of who  _ he _ was. Why did he have to fall in love with someone who would..

God, he still couldn’t get himself to believe it. 

He wrapped his arms around himself, resisting the urge to curl up right there on the floor and cry. Instead, he gathered himself up the best he could, hunched down as he made his way to the bathroom. He locked the door, stripped off his clothes, and turned the shower on as hot as it could go. 

It was only then, after he’d stepped in, after he wished that the hot water could burn away the memories of touch that had seemed so innocent, so loving at the time, that he allowed himself to curl up, sobbing in the stream of scaldingly hot water as though he could wash it all away, pretend it had never happened. 

He should have known better.

 

_ Please Don’t Go Joel Adams _

He felt Red’s arms slip around him from behind, swaying rhythmically and singing badly along to the music that was apparently in his head, since Sans didn’t have any playing for once. Snorting, he settled back into the hold, setting the dish he’d been drying aside and allowing himself to be awkwardly spun around the room. 

“Hello,” he said after a moment, prompting a laugh from the other. “When did you get home?”

He could hear Red’s smile in his voice as he replied, “A few seconds ago. How did you know it was me and not some random stranger here to steal you?”

Sans looked down pointedly at where he could see Red’s arms wrapped around his middle. “Sixth sense.” He grinned at the resulting chuckle, then turned around in his arms, kissing his quickly before detaching himself and returning to the dishes. He’d been hit with a sudden spark of motivation when he got home from work, and he planned to make use of it. “Besides,” he said, flashing a smile back over his shoulder. “Nobody’d steal me, anyway. I’d be more trouble than I’m worth.”

Red hummed, then came up behind him again, this time just to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Nah...you’re worth all the trouble.”

Sans could hear the honest affection in his voice, and he found himself floored, just for a moment. No matter how many times he heard a tone of voice like that, directed at  _ him _ , of all people…

“Well, that’s a good thing, then, because you  _ are _ all the trouble,” he shot back, earning himself a push. 

Red was…

Well. 

Sans didn’t know how to describe it.

 

**Papyrus-**

_ Runaway Galantis _

Papyrus had always had a lot of hope.

It was just something he had to have, with a brother like Sans. He had to hope he would get out of bed in the mornings, he had to hope they would make rent next month, and he had to hope that someday, Undyne would look at him and see that she’d been wrong all along and he would make a wonderful royal guardsman. 

Now, as he found himself being held back by Sans, arms held in his small hands with a strength Papyrus hadn’t know he even had, he had to hope he would be able to forgive his brother for this. 

He pulled again, attemtping to go help, to pull  _ someone _ away from the crushing blackness, but Sans’ grip was firm. 

So he closed his eyes, he cried, he pleaded with Sans to just let him help anyone.

And he hoped.

 

_ Radioactive Imagine Dragons _

“Why the  _ fuck _ are you so nice to me?!”

Papyrus looked at Slim in surprise, furrowing his brows. “I told you, it’s because--”

“No, I mean  _ actually _ . Why are you so nice?” Slim looked almost crazed, arms held too tightly at his sides and eyelights trembling. “Is it...is it because you want to fuck me? B-because I don’t--”

“What?” Papyrus was shocked. When, at any point during their interactions, had he ever… “No! I don’t want to have sex with anyone!”

Slim looked at him doubtfully, and Papyrus felt his face harden. “What? Is that a problem?”

“No...of course not, but then... _ why _ ?”

Papyrus studied him for a moment, narrowing his eyes. Slim was asking him a serious question, he could see it in his eyes. He could see how much the answer would mean to him, how much of a difference it would end up making. 

“Because I like to help people. And you are the most pleasant of the many,  _ many _ people who need help around here.”

Slim let out a surprised laugh, and his eyelights softened the merest fraction. “I don’t wanna be a charity case, Papyrus.”

“I know! That’s why you’re my friend, instead.”

 

_ The Girl Hellberg JPB Remix _

Papyrus is doing homework (again) when Slim gets the call. It was Papyrus’s phone that rang, but at this point, there isn’t much difference in the calls they recieve, so he’d just gestured for Slim to grab it for him so that he could finish this problem. 

“Hello?” 

The opposite of b, plus or minus--

“ _ What _ ?!”

His head snaps up. It’s been months since he’s heard Slim’s voice sound like that. He watches as Slim takes a careful seat on the floor, phone clutched to the side of his head like he’s afraid that it’s going to be taken from him. 

“N-no...no, this is Slim...yeah, he’s right here.” 

He passes the phone to Papyrus without looking at him, staring down at the rug like it holds all the answers to the universe. 

“Hello?”

That’s Sans’ voice. His Sans, not one of the others. “What’s wrong?” he asks immeditely, and he hears Sans’ surprised noise, as though he had expected him to somehow not pick up on the distress his best friend was suffering. 

“It’s Blue...he’s..uh….is….well, he’s gone. He’s...he did a soul swap, with Fell, and Razz--.”

And just like that, Papyrus gets it. 

 

**Red-**

_ Anti-Gravity Runaground _

“Stay the  _ fuck _ \--” he swung again, bringing the sharpened bone in his hand down across the snowdrake’s face. “Away! From my! Brother! You! Asshole!” each word was punctuated by another swing, the other’s HP dropping steadily as it tried to push itself away. He had to give it credit; it hadn’t screamed for help yet. 

He lifted his weapon again, intent pouring off of him as he prepared to deliver the final blow. 

“San!”

His head whipped to the side, making eye contact with the toddling babybones in the trees before he was suddenly body-checked into a bush, the snowdrake yelling out a warcry as it smashed his head into the icy ground. He cried out in pain, and he heard a scream of fear from Papyrus before his head was hit again. He felt something crack, and he grit his teeth, clinging to his single HP with all of his will as he bucked his hips, throwing the other off of him. 

They landed, sprawled, across the snowy path, and Red surged to his feet, resummoning his weapon and advancing quickly. 

“Papyrus, cover your eyes!” he shouted, sparing the other half a glance to be sure he was obeying before bringing the bone down across the stunned snowdrake’s chest. 

He just hoped the sound of a shattering soul wouldn’t be imprinted into the mind of his baby brother. 

 

_ Elastic Heart Sia _

Red narrowed his eyes slightly, studying San with all the intensity of someone who had no idea what he was looking at. 

“What the fuck are you doing?”

Sans jumped, spinning around and hiding his shame behind his back, as though Red hadn’t just seen him doing it. “Nothing. I have no clue what you’re talking about. You should go away.”

“Are you…”

“No!”

“Are you watching Glee?”

“I’ve never even heard of Glee.”

He raised a brow, trying not to smile. “You know, we’ve been over this before. We both already know that you--”

“Hey, now, I’m not the only one with embarrassing shows. We share a netflix, you know!” 

He tilted his head to one side, taking a step forward so that he was right up in Sans’ space. “Why are you going through my profile?”

“I’m not!”

He could see the spark of mischief in those eyes, and he just sighed and shook his head before shooting his hands forward, wrapping around to Sans’ back as he attempted to get the phone out of his grip. “Show me what you’re watching, Sans, c’mon, are you embarrassed?” 

Sans was laughing, twisting in his grip to try and escape, but he was thoroughly trapped, and it wasn’t long before Red was holding his phone up to his own face, grimacing at the image onscreen. “Who is that nerd?”

Sans looked up, yelping as he realized he had accidentally hit the home button. He snatched the phone back, blushing fiercely as Red laughed. “Aww...Sansy, I didn’t know you liked that selfie that much.”

“Shut the fuck up! I’m the one that looks hot in it, not you!”

“Awwwww…”

“Shut up!”

 

_ Unsteady X Ambassadors _

“I love you.”

He felt his soul skip, smiling against where his mouth was pressed to Sans’ cheek. Every single  _ goddamn _ time he heard that, every time Sans said he loved him in that voice like he was afraid it would be the last time, Red could feel himself just...growing. Not like that, ya perverted fuck. 

Just…

“I love you too, Sans.”

He could feel his whole body lighting up, his soul expanding and his breath shortening. It was the most impossible thing he’d ever heard, and the most expected, all at the same time. And when Sans always smiled at him afterwards, a warm sort of relief in his eyes, Red couldn’t help but smile back. 

All he wanted to do was hold the other close and make sure he understood how deeply Red loved and cherished him, how much he wanted to hold him and make sure he was okay. He just wanted to be there for Sans, with Sans, beside Sans, for the rest of forever. 

And as they turned, here, around in circles with their arms tightly wrapped around one another, rings glinting in the light and Sans’ eyes somehow even brighter? 

Well, it was starting to feel possible. 

 

**Fell-**

_ Just One Yesterday FOB _

Captain of the Royal Guard. 

It was...it always has been...it was supposed to be impossible. He was never actually supposed to get there, he was never  _ actually _ supposed to be here, on his knees, dust sifting down over him, Undyne’s spears fading from existence because their controller was no longer in control. 

Faintly, he feels a hand clap down on his back. He would have lashed out, was about to lash out, just out of reflex, but he feels his brother’s magic wash over him, a private comfort that he knows he cannot react to, other than to draw private strength from it. 

“Congrats, Boss,” he hears Sans say. “You finally fuckin’ did it.”

He knows he needs to stand up. He knows he needs to get up, and to show his strength. He is the Captain now, and the Captain would not have his feet ripped out from under him just because the closest thing he’d ever had to a friend outside of his only family was…

He pushes himself to his feet, smacking away Sans’ offer of help. He ignores the pain in his scapula and in his femur, which he’s realizing might be broken. 

_ It was an accident, she was never supposed to _ …

He nodded in Asgore’s direction, turning to return to the crowd. It didn’t matter. Grief was weakness, and in a world like this?

Weakness was death.

 

_ I Don’t Wanna Live Forever ZAYN _

The first time he meets Stretch, he kind of wants to kill him. He’s a snark-mouthed asshole who seems to have nothing better to do than to  _ push _ him, as though he’s unaware of how little prodding it would take for Fell to lose control and turn him into a cloud of dust.

Sometimes, when the other is sprawled across his lap, punning at 65 miles an hour and winking every three seconds like he’s actually a catch, Fell still kind of wants to do something violent. More of a “toss him out the nearest window” than a “turn him to dust”, but honestly, who  _ wouldn’t _ want to toss Stretch out a window?

But then there are the nights, when he can’t seem to fall asleep because of the sobs that are wrenching through his body, where the whole world feels like its made from sandpaper and spikes and every step he takes stabs through him, where all he wants is to sit down, to hold him close, and to never let go. 

Stretch is safe. Stretch is kind, and wonderful, and irritating in the best possible way. 

He has no idea what he would do, if he didn’t have him now.

 

_ The Good The Bad and The Dirty P!ATD _

Fell is powerful. He’s always been aware of the fact, of how his magic will sometimes roll off of him in waves, and how his scars and his jagged teeth make him look as though he could and would kill someone without a second thought if they harmed something he cared about. 

He used to relish in it. He used to stare down some of the braver monsters in town, intent flowing out of him, mouth curved into an intimidating grimace until they scampered off. It was an amazing feeling, to feel so powerful in a world where power was everything.

_ “You’re….what?!” _

He would flex in front of the mirror, despite not having muscles, and growl intimidatingly at himself. He definitely would  _ not _ leap away in shame when he heard Sans coming upstairs. It wasn’t embarrassing. Not at all. He was strong. That was something to be proud of. 

And this moment, right here, was most definitely not embarrassing. Especially if he was able to get Stretch to promise  _ never _ to tell his brother that he’d passed out. 

_ “I’m pregnant, Fell. Are you okay?” _

Fuckin….

Fell didn’t think he’d ever felt more weak in his life, happiness pulsing through him like it would never go away as fear felt like it was going to make him pass out all over again. 

_ Pregnant _ ...

 

**Blue-**

_ You Don’t Own Me - Grace _

Do they even realize they’re doing it?

When Blue looks up and into Alphys’s eyes, does she even know that she has that...that  _ pitying _ , condescending look in her eyes? Does Papyrus know how obvious it is that he sees him as a child? As though he’s the only one who ever lost control, wanted something so badly he hurt himself to get it? As though his hope that  _ maybe _ the world can be better is nothing more than a childlike fantasy?

Does Blue even realize how much he hates it? 

He doesn’t think so. He doesn’t think it’s possible to be aware of how much he hates being looked down on. How much he hates it when people assume he’s the younger brother, even though he  _ raised _ Papyrus. Papyrus would be dead and gone without him, but they all have the gall to act as though he’s the innocent one, the one that needs to be protected?

Why can’t they  _ see _ him? Why can’t they trust that maybe, just  _ maybe _ , he knows what he’s talking about?

Why does every dream seem so far out of reach?

 

_ Fools Troye Sivan _

He doesn’t see it as stupid, to believe that someone can get better,  _ be _ better. 

It’s not that he blindy accepts the best of people, the best of everyone. He’s not a child, he’s not caught up in a dream world. He knows that some people are just….done. They don’t want to change, they don’t want to have anyone push them, they just want to be the way they are and they don’t want to fix it.

But he firmly believes that  _ anyone _ who tries can be better. 

So even looking up at Razz, glaring down at him in semi-confusion, he can’t help but think  _ What if? _

What if he wanted to change? What if he wanted to be better? To change? What if Blue could convince him, could inspire him to be something else, something so much more... _ capable _ . 

Razz is already powerful. Blue can see it in every movement, every single twitch of a finger and every single step through dusty snow. He’s just so  _ much _ , so much power and confidence and...he can just  _ tell _ that it isn’t all from LV. 

There is just something about Razz that makes him want to see what he could be, if he was better. 

 

_ I’d Love to Change the World Jetta Matstubs Remix _

He takes a deep breath, before he does it. Stares up at the screen and breathes in deep like it’ll make a difference, like it’ll wipe away the guilt, like it’ll make it all feel better inside. 

It won’t, and he knows that. 

He just can’t bring himself to care.

There’s an empty thing deep in his soul, and it feels like it’s taking over. It feels like it’s going to swallow him up in the pit of loneliness and self-hate he’s been avoiding for so many years. It feels like if he doesn’t do something about it, it’s going to kill him. It’s going to make his whole soul go empty until there’s nothing left of him to eat away. 

Before Razz, he was always just...tired. Before Razz, he didn’t know that he was missing what he was missing, he didn’t  _ know _ why he always felt this way. 

And now that he knew, and he had lost it?

So he takes a deep breath. Because this is worth it, he tells himself. Because this is what needs to happen. 

He needs to get him back.

 

**Stretch-**

_ All We Know The Chainsmokers Nightcore _

He takes a step to one side, rocking his shoulders in a base approximation of dancing, and grins at the way Blue laughs at him. He grins at him at he dances his way to the table, a plate held securely in his hands before spinning around, placing it on the table so he can keep dancing around like an idiot. 

There is no music playing, just the sound of Blue snickering at the randomness of this particular bout of entertainment. 

“Papy, what are you  _ doing _ ?”

He smiles again, this time at the way Blue absentmindedly picks at his food, chewing and swallowing like it was nothing. “I forgot sauce, bro.”

“Papyrus, there’s sauce right here!” 

Blue is smiling, and his soul clenches. He knows he shouldn’t...he shouldn’t rely so heavily on his brother’s happiness, but he just…. The sound of Blue’s laugh feels like all the motivation he needs to push past the unending darkness, to go to therapy and to leave feeling like it might have actually made a difference this time. 

He knows it’s dangerous, to base so much on another person.

But it isn’t like Blue is going anywhere, right?

 

_ Paralyzed NF _

Stretch holds tightly to Fell’s hand, pulling it into his chest and squeezing his eyes shut. He’s spent  _ so long _ , so many  _ years _ of time and struggle and heartache learning how to be happy on his own. He’s learning how to be better, how to let light into his life without depending so much on his brother or his husband or his friends to prop him up. 

He feels his breath hitch, and he wonders for a moment if it was all for nothing.

As much as he thought he’d progressed, as much as he thought he’d improved? It all felt like it was going to be swept away, pushed under a rug until he was just as lost as he’d been so many years ago.

And that was only if he  _ survived _ . 

He dropped one hand to settle on his stomach, squeezing the motionless hand of his soulmate. He would lose both of them, and he would die. He wasn’t strong enough. He wasn’t strong enough to live past this, he wasn’t strong enough to survive for their child, he wasn’t even strong enough to be a  _ parent _ .

He needed Fell’s strength, more than anything else. And in that moment, he thought to himself that he would give  _ anything _ to save him.  

 

_ Save My Heart Jason Reeves _

Stretch smiled, turning over so that he could wrap an arm around Fell. He felt the soft cushion of blue magic envelop him, pulling him slightly closer, and he pushed away the sad twinge to his thoughts. 

He could feel his breaths on the top of his head, and he closed his eyes, pressing his face deeper into his chest. The threat of tears was in the forefront of his mind but...for the the first time in a while, they felt happy. He wanted to make a joke about them being tears of relief, from  _ finally _ getting Corbel to go the fuck to sleep, but…

He examined his thoughts carefully as he felt Fell exhale, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. 

For the first time, he didn’t feel the ugly press of guilt over his happiness. He felt as though he might...he might,  _ finally _ be accepting this. He might be accepting that he can be happy, even without his…

Even without Blue.

 

**Razz-**

_ Castle Halsey _

He twirls the bone almost casually, his mouth curving up in a terrifying imitation of a smile. He sits on the couch, one leg crossed over the other, and the toe of his boot bouncing as though he was just watching TV or relaxing casually. 

“Hello, brother,” he says, and his dead smile grows wider at the fear in his little brother’s eyes. “Mind telling me where you were?”

The answer is too quiet for him to hear, but he knows what he was going to say. He knows all too well. It’s all the same, isn’t it? It’s always that damn bar, the one escape he’s allowed Papyrus because he knows that if he removes all hope, he will be nothing more than useless. 

“Why do you continue to go there when you have other responsibilities?” he asks, the quiet in his voice far more terrifying than if he had yelled. “You have times in which you may fuck around, why do you  _ insist-- _ ” he stands up, then, his body coiling, and Slim flinches. “--on  _ wasting my time _ ?”

Slim is trembling, fear flickering in his eyelights, and Razz’s LV is telling him that he’s never seen anything more beautiful. 

“I’m sorry, m’Lord.”

Razz just laughs, turning away from where the sharp end of the bone that had just been in his hand is now embedded in Slim’s eye. He doesn’t scream, and Razz nods to himself. He would reward the mutt later. He is learning, after all. 

 

_ Cake Melanie Martinez _

It’s been so long since he’s allowed himself to feel this way, so long since he’s allowed anger to blank him out to the point where he  _ wants _ to dust someone. 

But even now, even as he’s just on the edge of losing all control, he reels it in. He pulls himself back, shoves the instinct to hunt for a higher LV to the back of his soul and does his best to ignore it. His memory still flickers in rage, but he checks his EXP periodically to make sure he hasn’t betrayed Blue’s trust. 

He will kill, if he has to. He would do anything to get him back, anything he possibly could to rescue him. 

That surprises him, just for a moment. 

Then, he remembers a soft press of teeth to his cheek, bright eyes as Blue’s voice tells him he can do better,  _ be _ better, and he clenches his fist. 

He’s not just going to let him die. 

 

_ Towards the Sun Rihanna _

Razz is shaking, hands gripping into something green and wispy as though if he lets go, he will fall away. His mind is whirling, filled with the images of his world falling to pieces, people he’s known and hated for so many years dying.

How is he alive?

Shakily, he pushes himself up to sit, forcing himself to let go of the green stuff and look around. It’s so...it’s so  _ bright _ . He can see a house, in front of him, two stories with green paint and white trim. His blanks blinks out for a moment, and all he can think is how nice the color looks against the blue background of the--

His eyes fly wide, and he immediately turns his gaze upwards, spinning around until he finds the bright ball of the...the  _ sun _ .

He’s on the surface.

He doesn’t know why, he doesn’t know how. His world is gone, his brother is gone, Blue is gone, but he’s on the  _ surface _ . He can feel something welling up in his soul, one of those weird  _ feelings _ he keeps getting since his LV dropped. He chases after it, and his soul swells, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks. 

He’s  _ happy _ . 

Then, before he can even fully comprehend the feeling of  _ happiness _ , he hears a voice he never expected to hear again. 

“R-razz?”

 

**Slim-**

_ Idfc Blackbear Tarro Remix _

When Slim finds the machine, he’s stuck for a moment. Just for a moment, he wonders what would happen if he told Sans about it. What his reaction would be. Would he be punished for hiding something he didn’t know about? Probably. 

He was struck, suddenly, by an image from a very long time ago, when he had been so small, he only came up to Sans’ waist. He’d looked up and into his purple eyes, and he’d trusted the whispered promises that he would be kept safe, that Sans would never let  _ Him _ touch him. 

He’d kept that promise. He’d kept it so well that Sans had nearly died, barely escaping with their lives after...after  _ it _ happened. 

He didn’t think Sans remembered  _ it _ . He didn’t think he remembered any of it. All Sans remembered was, suddenly, having EXP, being 2LV. Slim hadn’t remembered, either. At least...he hadn’t remembered  _ why _ his brother suddenly had a taste for death.

Slim looked up at the machine again, fingers brushing along broken controls. 

He could...he could just…

Slim shook his head. He couldn’t. He couldn’t just abandon his brother. 

He would save them both, he told himself. He  _ would _ .

 

_ Hymn For the Weekend Coldplay _

Stretch was humming under his breath, shoulders bouncing along to the music he’d set up in the basement earlier that day. Slim watched him carefully, eyes trailing across his shoulders and down to where he was fiddling with the controls of the machine. It looked so much like his own, just more broken. 

He couldn’t help but find that a bit funny, that in the case of their machines, it was Stretch’s that was the broken one. 

The corner of his mouth twitched up, and he caught a glimpse of Stretch grinning back at him. His eyes were tinged with the same sadness they always had, but there was still something... _ beautiful _ about them. 

It was beautiful, seeing a version of himself that looked so whole. 

He found himself wondering, just for a moment, what Streth’s brother must be like. Then he pushed it away. It didn’t matter if he was  _ worse _ that his own Sans. He would help Stretch recover him. 

He wanted Stretch to be happy, almost more than he’d wanted anything else in his life. 

 

_ Skinny Love Birdy _

“Slim! Wake up!”

He gasped, flying forward, lashing out. He was trapped, tied, his lord was...was…

Slim looked to the side, coming face-to-face with Papyrus. He looked worried, hands settled lightly on his shoulders so that he wouldn’t feel trapped. Behind him, his bed was still made, but his desk was a mess of papers that Slim took to mean he’d been doing homework when Slim had inevitably started screaming. 

“He’s not here. He’s across the country, with Blue. He’s not here, and he will not hurt you.” Papyrus said firmly, tightening his grip as he felt Slim coming back to himself. Before he could stop it, Slim was sobbing, face buried in his hands as Papyrus shifted to rub his back. “It’s all okay, now. You’re okay.”

He nodded, to show him that he understood, that he was back in his own mind. It had been a while since he’d had a breakdown, but he knew that if he looked up, there would be no judgement in his best friend’s sockets. Nothing but concern, and the sort of platonic compassion Slim had never even known  _ existed _ before Papyrus. 

He felt himself gathered into a hug, and he squeezed back, crying into the other’s shoulder. 

He didn’t know where he would be without Papyrus.


	4. Photograph

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rottenberry, with a flashback at the end of Seasons Change but then set after the second-to-last chapter of String Theory (so chapter 29 I think? We're not there yet but there is only the minorest of spoilers)
> 
> I got [this amazing fanart](https://crushingonsans.tumblr.com/post/162829275734/makuuwiru-fanart-for-string-theory) and it inspired me to write this! (also the song they referenced is the perfect song for rottenberry, fantastically chosen dude) Warnings for aftermath of major character death. 
> 
> I was listening to [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK4QRnBiTPA) on repeat while I wrote this and i highly recommend listening to it while you read.

“It’s so pretty here.”

Razz glanced to the side doubtfully, looking between the view off of this bridge and the view of Blue, bouncing on the balls of his feet and laughing happily. The lights of the city could never compare, in his opinion, to the eyelights of this gorgeous skeleton.

...Razz, what the fuck?

He shook his head at himself, coming up to lean against the railing next to Blue. “Yeah, it’s alright, I guess.” He shifted uncomfortably for a moment, giving Blue another sideways glance. He loved that cheesy bullshit, though, didn’t he? “Not as pretty as you, though.”

Razz didn’t even have time to cringe at himself before Blue’s face was flushing brightly, his smile growing as he looked over at him in surprise. They just looked at one another for a long moment before Blue murmured, “That was pretty cheesy, y’know.”

“Shut up, you liked it.”

“Okay, well, yeah, but--”

“Hey, lovebirds!”

They both started, glancing back over their shoulders to see Red holding up his phone in their general direction. “Give us a smile, gorgeous. Oh, and I guess Razz can be in the picture, too.”

Blue huffed good-naturedly, turning around and tugging Razz to face the other as well. Razz made a face at Red. “Why are you such a fucking skeeze?”

“Don’t even worry about it, Regina George. Just smile as best you can for the camera.”

Razz raised a brow. “What’s that?”

Red snorted, the phone lowering partway. “What, a smile? You’re tellin me you’ve never even looked at your own boyfriend’s face, because he usually--”

“Guys, seriously,” Blue said, looking somewhat exasperated. “Of course I’m gonna smile!” He threw one arm out to the side, and wrapped the other around Razz’s shoulders. “Look at everything I have to smile about!”

Razz glanced down, surprised, to see Blue grinning up at him. Then, before he could react, he’d leaned up, pecking a kiss onto his teeth before turning to face Red and lifting the hand not wrapped around Razz to wave at the camera. 

Razz felt himself turning a little purple as he followed his gaze, unable to help the wide smile spreading across his face as Red snapped the picture. 

**~three years later~**

_ Razz, _

He sits back heavily onto the mattress, staring down at the piece of paper in disbelief. He...he hadn’t expected to find this, he hadn’t expected to find  _ any _ of this, he was just…

_ I’m so sorry. I know that by the time you find this, I will already be gone. If, for some reason, I am not gone, don’t worry. I will be soon.  _

His soul clenched. What...what would have happened? If he had found it before…

_ I know you are probably confused, and hurt, if you are still alive. I believe you are, though. You’re strong, and stubborn, and you always have been. You’ll live past me, and you’ll do it wonderfully. I can’t explain, at least not easily, all of my reasons for this. But…all of this, it’s my fault. I need to do everything that I can to fix it, to fix my family and to help my brother. After being so selfish for so long, I just…I need to do this one thing for him. I need to make sure my nephew doesn’t grow up without parents like all of us did.  _

Razz felt anything but strong. He felt as though he was falling apart all over again. 

_ I know that I’ve left you alone, but Razz, I know you can be just as wonderful without me. I know you can live on in spite of my absence, and I know you won’t lose control. You are not your LV, and you never will be. Just know that I believe in you, and I will never stop believing in you. I fell in love with someone powerful and with so much potential to be kind; to create change for the better.  _

He felt empty, as though every emotion he’d ever had had been drained away, stolen from him by this...this letter. Was this supposed to be closure? Was this supposed to be support? He’d never seen the like of it before, but his soul felt so tight and he was just so  _ empty _ . 

_ You can do that without me. I promise.  _

God, no. No he couldn’t. Why couldn’t Blue have seen that?

_ I love you so much, Razz. Never doubt that. I am not doing this out of any lack of feelings for you. You are my world, and you have been my world since even before you rescued me. Thank you so much for believing in me, for not leaving me despite everything I’ve done.  _

He’d loved Blue more than he’d been able to comprehend. He’d been his whole world, his reason to live instead of just survive, every bright piece in his dark perspective. How could he ever have even thought of leaving that behind?

_ I hope I am able to see the amazing person you become, but even if I can’t, just know that I am already proud of you for how far you have come. Don’t let it fade.  _

He didn’t have anything in him to fade.

_ Tell Papy I love him. Tell Sans that I’m sorry. Tell Fell that it’s not his fault, it’s mine. And tell the others that I’ll miss them. _

They knew. They all knew, and he wanted to scream that for Blue to hear, that he didn’t need to make these apologizes, he never needed to leave in the first place.

_ I love you so much, _

_ Blue _

Razz’s hands were shaking as he lowered the paper, setting it beside him on the bed. He was staring ahead, at nothing, feeling nothing, being nothing, there was nothing. 

A flash of color caught his eye, and he followed it. Following was easier. Following was harmle--

Oh. 

He reached back into the nightstand drawer, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper and smoothing it out as best he could in his lap. He remembered crumpling it up when Blue had printed it out, thinking it was a mockery, that Blue had been throwing their differences in his face. He was broken, scarred, his bright smile seeming completely out of place. 

But Blue...Blue had always been beautiful. He looked like he had been born to smile, born to make the world a better place. 

He must have smoothed the paper back out and put it in the drawer. Blue had always been big on those memories and milestones, and this was...well, it was the first photo they ever took together. It was the first time they’d really stood side by side and smiled for the world to see. 

Razz didn’t used to appreciate things like that. 

A drop of purple-tinted moisture appeared on the white edges of the paper, and Razz blinked in surprise. Then another one dropped, and he reached up, disbelieving, brushing his fingers across his wet face. Then it hit him, all at once, the emptiness washing away to make room for the same crushing sadness that sometimes seemed as though it would never go away. 

He clutched the photo to his chest as he sobbed, one hand reaching up on instinct to tangle into the cloth of the blue scarf around his neck. 

And that’s where they found him, a few minutes later, his face streaked with purple and his eyes no longer empty, but squeezed shut. 

Razz had always been strong. He’d always shown it so outwardly, in every movement and look and breath. But, Slim thought as he watched him from the doorway, he had never shown it quite this much. 


	5. SEASONS CHANGE PLOT

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the full plot for Seasons Change, the String Theory prequel. I have it here, in it's entirety, because this newest chapter really requires some background that I had planned to have out by now. Seasons Change has been something I just haven't been motivated to write, and while it was supposed to have been finished by the time String Theory got to this point, that just hasn't happened. So, instead, enjoy this. I'm debating taking Seasons Change down completely, but for now it will stay up, it will just be unlikely to get a chapter anytime soon. 
> 
> Warnings for death/genocide, kidnapping, torture, using sex to fill loneliness/using someone for sex, complicated and probably unnecessary backstory. Let me know if I missed anything.

**Chapter 1 - Do**

Razz is a powerful assassin, assisted by his brother. He’s a really big asshole with 12 LV, and he abuses Slim and basically uses him as nothing more than a henchman. In this chapter they do some murder then go home, and Razz can’t sleep so he goes to find Slim and discovers him working on the machine. He kicks the shit out of Slim because he can’t explain to him what the machine is for, then accidentally activates it, then turns and is hurting Slim again to get him to explain what’s going on, but the portal is expanding and Slim pushes him out of the way and falls into it, leaving Razz alone in the basement for about a split second before Blue falls back through it and the portal disappears. Blue isn’t wearing his scarf and gloves at this point, but otherwise is your typical adult Blue. They snark at each other for a second, then Razz loses his cool and attacks, eventually overpowering the other. 

 

**Chapter 2 - You**

Blue is taken upstairs and tied to the couch because Razz is pretty sure he is the key to getting Slim back. It’s really not out of any love or anything, it’s just the same sort of thing you’d do if you lost your phone or like a really useful dog. He wants him back because he doesn’t want to have to replace him. There’s a lot of snark between Blue and Razz as Razz attempts to interrogate him, and there really isn’t a whole lot of useful information to be had from him. Nicknames are established mostly for ease of writing lol. Razz calls Undyne over to try to figure out the machine and she says she can try for a price. She tries to ask for Blue as the price but Razz is kinda like “nah but ill keep that in mind” and instead bargains to kill someone for her. He takes Blue along with him on the mission and Blue fucks it up for him because he doesn’t want anyone to die. Razz is pissed and they argue then he goes upstairs without tying Blue back up because for all he cares the little asshole can go get himself dusted. He comes back down the next morning, though, and Blue is still there because he knows he’d have gotten killed venturing out. Blue tries the whole “Anyone can be better” spiel and Razz is just kinda like “fuck u check me” but Blue doesn’t care what his LV is and Razz thinks he’s super dumb but maybe a little brave. 

 

**Chapter 3- Think**

Okay so the way this LV point dropping thing works is that there’s a surge of unexpected positive emotion. Since you dont get a lot of positive emotion when you have LV, when it comes out of nowhere it can break down that shield. So as time goes on, Blue kinda worms his way into Razz’s affections? It takes a long time, and lots of little things. There are scenes where he cooks with Razz, and he tells him about dancing and he convinces him not to kill someone and just other little things all building up and building up until they get to the point, one day, where Blue convinces Razz that a drinking game would be a fun activity and they get pretty wasted. Somewhere during this they’ve abandoned the game and have sort of just ended up sitting on the couch with Blue half laying on Razz and Blue looks up at Razz and says something along the lines of “You know, it’s absolutely insane, but I think I might be falling in love with you” and Razz looks back at him and he feels this weird heightening and his soul is twisting and before he knows it they’re totally kissing and they end up falling asleep on the couch holding hands bc they’re really big dorks despite everything okay. Then they wake up the next morning and Razz realizes he’s lost a point of LV, and just flips his lid. Blue is trying to be like “this is good” and Razz slams him up against a wall by his neck to demand what he thinks he’s doing, why he’s trying to steal his power from him. Blue is denying that he was trying to weaken him and gets about halfway through the sentence “I really do love you” before Razz is throwing him out of the house on his ass. 

 

**Chapter 4 - Even**

Blue is devastated and terrified of course, but decided to try and make the best of it, maybe go find this world’s Alphys and see if she maybe won’t kill him. He’s walking along the streets of Snowdin in his bright clothes and surprise, surprise, someone takes an interest and starts following him. It’s Muffet and she’s very bright and cheery and it makes Blue homesick because she reminds him a lot of the Muffet at home, so she manages to convince him to come into her parlor. Again, surprise, surprise, she drugs him and he blacks out. Cut to Razz pacing the house and trying to figure out his emotions, trying to figure out how his LV possibly could have dropped. There’s a lot of inner monologuing and then he just kind of growls and ends up at the “well fuck I guess I have to go get Blue the idiot has probably gotten himself kidnapped” and whoa razz your powers of intuition are off the charts. He goes looking for him and finds out that he went to Muffets and he just immediately takes off running and ends up in her shop. He kills a weird spider thing and gets into the back and Blue is hanging from the ceiling from chains around his wrists, and Razz can see the bones of his wrists starting to come apart and he’s shirtless and Muffet has put him in a collar and basically caved in his ribcage and Razz doesn’t even want to *see* the rest of his body. He lets him down and finds out that the collar has spikes on the inside that have torn up his cervical vertebrae and he’s working on trying to tear it into tiny pieces when Muffet comes back. Razz totally wrecks her and is about to kill her when Blue stops him. “Let’s just go home.” Razz threatens her very intensely if she ever touches what belongs to him again, then they leave. 

 

**Chapter 5 - The**

They get halfway back to Razz’s house and Blue passes out, so Razz picks him up and carries him back, his magic flaring and making it very obvious that despite the broken body in his arms, he is not to be trifled with. They get back and Razz lays Blue out on the couch and he can’t find the first aid kit but he doesn’t know how to heal because that’s an ability that the LV has stolen from him. He tracks down some bandages and comes back and starts patching up his ribcage and he’s totally focused on the bandages and he’s thinking about how he failed Blue and there’s a lot of regret and he doesn’t realize he’s crying until Blue’s using his shaking thumbs to brush them away. He’s in shock for a moment because he didn’t even know he could cry, and they just sort of stare at each other before Blue drops his eyes and asks why he isn’t using healing magic, since it would be faster. Razz says he doesn’t know how so Blue teaches him since really all you need to have is some sort of caring about the person you’re trying to heal. He heals him and then apologizes and Blue just shakes his head and is trying to apologize for forcing his feelings on him and Razz cuts him off by kissing him hard and it cuts off like their souls straining for each other or something gay like that. 

 

**Chapter 6 - Worst**

We go back in time to Stretch working on the machine in underswap, thinking to himself about why he’s doing it and how bad he feels about making Blue deal with his uselessness and such. Blue comes downstairs to tell him that dinner is ready or something and suddenly there’s a portal happening and Slim comes through. He’s flipping the hell out and when he sees Blue he grabs him and is trying to apologize to his Lord because he thinks Blue is Razz and Blue is trying to get away from him and in the process of this Blue is knocked back through the portal just as it’s closing. Stretch is pissed and like throws Slim against a wall with magic demanding to know where his brother has gone. It becomes very apparent that Slim is terrified and didn’t mean to so Stretch drops him and Slim tells him about his brother and Stretch is terrified for Blue of course because Razz is an abusive dick and all that. They work on fixing the underswap machine, and while this is happening, Slim is definitely falling in love with Stretch because of how un-broken and kind he is. Stretch, though, has no idea, and doesn’t return the feelings, considering Slim to just be a great friend and he’s really focused on getting his brother back. The chapter ends with them doing a test and lo and behold, the machine has been fixed. 

 

**Chapter 7 - Person**

They work out a plan to rescue Blue, and Slim wants to go get him, to save Stretch from having to fight his brother, but Stretch points out that if Razz give him a command he’s not going to be able to avoid following it. It’s decided that Stretch is going to go through, provided he keep his magic at the ready and is very sneaky and does  _ not _ wear that awful orange thing he calls a sweatshirt. They also decide to attach explosives to the machine that will activate after they’ve rescued Blue because they don’t want Razz to follow them. Stretch goes through the portal, and sets up the explosives, then Slim wishes him luck and Stretch goes upstairs to look for Blue (or Blue’s dust, is honestly what he’s half expecting). He checks around the whole house and just isn’t finding him, dread is setting in since he’s starting to realize how likely it is that his brother is dead, then he goes to Razz’s room and pushes open the door. Blue and Razz are both in there and they’re pretty naked and all that, and Stretch sees that and sees the scars and just immediately assumes the worst and has to stop himself from attacking Razz right there. Instead, he very carefully pulls Blue out of the bed and shortcuts downstairs, then finds a blanket to wrap around him. Then he goes downstairs and accidentally slams the closet door behind him. Switch to Razz’s POV and he snaps awake at the sound and finds Blue gone. He’s trying not to panic and pulls on some clothes and goes downstairs and then hears the machine doing things, so runs down the steps, entering the basement just in time for it to explode right in front of him. 

 

**Chapter 8 - Can**

Blue wakes up when Slim is like “WOO-HOO YOU GUYS MADE IT” and he’s sorta looking around blearily and then realizes that he’s with Stretch and he’s really happy for a few seconds until he looks around and “Where is Razz?” Stretch doesn’t know who Razz is but once Blue explains, he’s all happy, thinking he was the hero, and proclaims that they rescued Blue from him. Then Slim speaks up, something along the lines of trying to show Blue some sort of respect, and Blue just stares down at him, mind whirling as he figures out that he’s Razz’s brother, then he shoves himself out of Stretch’s arms and asks to be taken back. Stretch just grimaces, thinking that Blue has some sort of stockholm syndrome, and tells him that they destroyed the other machine. Blue  _ freaks out _ , not directed at either of the Papyruses and just at their machine, trying to figure out the controls and go back but he can’t figure it out and wears himself out. Stretch convinces him to come upstairs and eat something and put some clothes on, maybe get to know Slim, and Blue begrudgingly does it. While he’s upstairs he sees his scars for the first time in a mirror and decides to cover them, fishing out an old neckerchief and finding a pair of costume gloves. Then he goes downstairs and Stretch pretty much forces him to eat something, and Slim is there, and Blue just can’t get himself to even look at the other. Slim keeps making comments about him “escaping m’lord” and shit like that and it’s making blue super uncomfortable so eventually he excuses himself. Time passes and Blue keeps going down to the basement, trying to figure out how to get back to Razz and how the machine works. He’s deciphering old Gaster notes and making sense of things and eventually Stretch comes down there to tell him to stop trying to get back to his “abuser” and they get into a fight because Blue is trying to explain how Razz has changed and Stretch won’t hear it. Stretch talks about Blue’s scars and the fact that he found them in bed together, and Blue explains what actually happened and is extremely pissed that Stretch won’t accept or believe it. 

 

**Chapter 9 - Change?**

Blue stumbles across some notes of Gasters that detail a theoretical procedure allowing an entire alternate universe to be destroyed, and he is able to put together a few other notes that show him a way that he can input his own magic into the machine to ensure that anyone sharing that magic would be shuttled across the multiverse following the destruction of the universe, and they would end up in underswap. (Pseudo-science: This magic stuff is like DNA, so it would pull anyone who has that same “DNA” and basically bring them to underswap, but this can only happen if they have nowhere else to be. So destroying their universe suspends them in the void, but the machine hooks onto their soul matter and tugs them to this “safe space” which happens to be underswap. This means that the sans  _ and _ papyrus of any universe this is done with would be brought over, since the sans would have near-identical DNA and the papyrus is related to the sans, so would have similar enough DNA that the machine would pick it up) He puts it on the backburner, thinking it’s too extreme, but tries and fails many, many other things and eventually picks that back up again. His reasoning is that, really, the people of Razz’s universe are unredeemable. He doesn’t  _ want  _ to play judge and jury, but he also isn’t about to abandon Razz to hell just to save the lives of a world full of murderers. It also somehow doesn’t occur to him that there could be more worlds than just swapfell, so in a fit of desperation and loneliness, he does it, pointing at the first universe the machine picks up on and going with it. Things spark and whirl and then stop, and he thinks it’s failed for a few minutes before he hears someone crying upstairs and rushes up, full of hope that it’s Razz. It turns out to be UT Sans and Papyrus and Blue is absolutely crushed until he realizes, as Papyrus is crying desperately and Sans is speaking in single words with a hopeless look in his eyes, that he’s just destroyed their world and stranded them here. 

 

**Chapter 10 - No,**

Blue decides he can never risk this happening again, and he wants to do everything he can to help these two recover from what happened to them. He goes and hides everything that would point to him being the culprit, then he takes Sans under his wing. He would have done the same with Papyrus, but Papyrus already seems to have found his own coping method in Slim. Those two kind of accidentally become friends (with a lot of insistence from Papyrus) and Blue tries to do the same with Sans. He finds out he’s really quiet and reserved, though, and sets about trying to break that shell by spending as much time with him as he can. As time goes on, Sans warms up to him, and they become really close friends and hang out and all of that. The tale brothers are staying with the swaps until they can find a place, and sans is sharing a room with blue, so one night blue gets woken up by Sans’ nightmares. He wakes him up, and Sans spills out with all of the reset crap, all of the things he’s been through, and Blue is there to comfort him the best he can, doing his best not to think about everything Razz must be going through in his own universe. 

 

**Chapter 11 - Because,**

Back in time, Papyrus arrives in this world feeling like he’s going to fall apart. He’s always found service and showing kindness to be the best way to fix that, though, and he takes one look at Slim and sees someone who needs his help. It takes some doing, but he manages to convince the other that he’s trustworthy. Slim has a panic attack one night, and Papyrus is able to bring him down, and as time goes on, Slim tells him more and more about the things he’s been through, the way Razz treated him, everything. Papyrus is there to listen. Then, eventually, Slim is able to convince Papyrus to be a little selfish for once, and this time he’s the one doing the comforting as Papyrus tells him about his world being destroyed, watching everyone he loves except Sans die and everything being sucked into the void while Sans holds him back from doing anything to help, not that he would have been able to help anyway. There are just a lot of little things that end up with them being fast friends, and one day, Papyrus is planning to go house shopping and he convinces Slim to go talk to Stretch about his feelings for him. Slim does so, and while Stretch is kind about it, he doesn’t hold the same feelings, and is honest about that fact. Slim takes it well right up until he sees papyrus and breaks down in tears, and Papyrus is there to comfort him even from that. He says that he found a really good place, and if he and Sans are able to get the place, Slim is more than welcome to come stay with them. 

 

**Chapter 12 - Baby,**

They get the place! To celebrate, the five of them go to Muffets and they end up getting very drunk. Slim kind of starts to get very, very vocal about his past, almost sort of trash-talking Razz, except it’s not really trash talk, it’s sadder than that. And Papyrus is trying to get him to calm down but he’s getting really worked up and saying a lot of things that are making Blue very much want to either cry or hit something, so while Stretch and Papyrus are comforting Slim, Blue suggests to Sans that they head home. They do so, and end up sprawled on Blue’s bed like teenage girls, laughing and talking, and eventually it comes to the topic of sex, and Blue is all “oh yeah im just...the sex connoisseur, i’ve done it a whole one time.” and Sans is like “oh, with...Slim’s brother?” And Blue looks over expecting to see judgement but only sees a sadness he can recognize all too easily, and it sort of occurs to him that Sans really would look an awful lot like Razz if he had the twin scars on his socket and purple eyelights. He can’t quite get that thought out of his mind, and Sans says something classy like “oh man ill bet im a great kisser wanna see” and Blue makes fun of him but it only takes a few more lines before they actually are kissing. They’re drunk, and this seems like a fantastic idea, and it escalates, and the whole damn time Blue is thinking of Razz, imagining the similarities and differences. It comes out that Sans has never done this before, but Blue doesn’t even stop at that, continuing to use his best friend as a replacement for Razz as they have sex. Blue starts to cry at one point, and Sans is trying to comfort him because he’s a nice guy, and Blue says “I love you” just to see if it tastes the same as it did to say it to Razz, then before Sans can say anything, goes back to having sex. Then they’re falling asleep, and all Blue can think about is how much he misses Razz, and he hears Sans murmur a quiet “I love you too, Blue.”

 

**Chapter 13 - Seasons**

Blue wakes up first the next morning with a killer hangover and the realization that he very much regrets everything that happened. He’s laying there and staring at Sans while he’s asleep and trying to convince himself that he could just stick with this, let it keep going, maybe be happy without Razz, but he eventually comes to the conclusion that not only will Sans never be able to fill in and Blue will never truly love him as much as he does Razz, but Sans is just too nice to keep dragging along. He makes up his mind, then shakes Sans awake. Sans is practically glowing with happiness, and Blue promptly destroys that by telling Sans that it was all a lie and he didn’t mean what he said. Sans is devastated, but seems to be trying to find an explanation or blame himself right up until he figures out that Blue has been using him as a replacement. That’s where he starts to cry, and he gathers up his clothes and he leaves. Blue feels like shit. 

 

**Chapter 14 - Might**

Blue is absolutely heartbroken, absolutely filled with guilt, absolutely just worn down by loneliness, and there’s like a breakfast that Sans isn’t present at and that Slim is giving him disapproving looks during, and Blue realizes that Sans must have gone to him to cry it out. He’s filled with this irrational anger at everyone involved and he just kind of leaves and goes down to the basement. He’s staring at the machine, he’s staring at his notes, he’s going through records and codes. His emotions are warring with each other, his loneliness competing with his guilt but eventually he just breaks down and decides he  _ has _ to get Razz back, come hell, high water, or the destruction of every other universe that exists. He manages to find a broken piece of code common to a few of the universal codes he’s finding now that he’s putting the proper research in, and he manages to identify the broken code to mean that it’s a fell universe, basically. So, armed with the justification that he’s narrowed it down and, again, that he would rather have Razz than let his broken universe live, he does it all over again. 

 

**Chapter 15 - Change**

This time, instead of crying, he hears yelling upstairs. He runs up there to see that this time he’s brought over the Fell brothers, and that Fell is causing a ruckus by refusing to calm down. Blue is just not having a good day and decides it’d be a good idea to offer a surprise hug, only to get absolutely bowled over by one brother or the other, since they’d perceived it as a threat. Before he can even react, Sans is downstairs and has summoned a gaster blaster to defend him. The Fell brothers react to that about how you’d expect, but Papyrus and Stretch manage to get everyone calmed down. Blue looks over at Sans, but he won’t even look at him. They all sit down to try to figure some things out, to see if they had the same experience as the tale brothers, and Red is kind of being a dick to Sans but in an im-trying-to-be-funny kind of way? Like, “heya, sweetheart, don’t strain yourself. Save that brainpower for after school” and “my blaster is bigger than your blaster”. Fell, at one point, stares Slim down and asks where “the babybones’s” brother is, and Stretch jumps to Slims defense along with Papyrus. Sometime during the course of this conversation, Papyrus asks something like “Don’t you even care that your universe was just destroyed?” and Red responds “what the hell did our universe ever do for us?” which Blue finds very interesting because suddenly he feels no guilt at all for bringing the fells over here. 

 

**Chapter 16 - But**

Stretch and Fell falling in love from Blue’s POV. It’s one of those things that starts out abrasively flirty, and while he doesn't get to be there for the deeper stuff, like them learning to trust each other and their private moments, it’s still very clear that they’re falling in love. Red is very okay with his brother being so happy, and enjoys needling blue about their brothers fucking on Blue’s bed, which Blue doesn’t find very funny. He’s very jealous of the fact that not only does his brother get happiness and he doesn’t, but Blue doesn’t even have Sans anymore. Sans has been avoiding him, and Blue, despite not feeling guilty for destroying the Fell’s universe, decides he should sit down with his brother and try to talk to him about missing Razz. When he does so, however, Stretch won’t even hear about it, instead encouraging him to make up with Sans because he’s a good guy, and Blue “deserves better than someone who would treat his family the way Razz treated Slim”. Blue eventually leaves the conversation, really angry, and decides “fuck it” and goes and destroys yet another universe. 

 

**Chapter 17 - People**

As soon as Blue pushes the button, he just kind of sighs and cleans everything up before going upstairs. He’s certain it’ll be the wrong one again, and just kind of goes upstairs and looks around casually before glancing out the window. Lo and Behold, Razz is out there, and he’s staring up at the sky like it’s the most gorgeous thing he has ever seen, and Blue lets out this really loud strangled gasp and sprints to the front door, drawing the attention of Stretch, Red, and Fell, who are the only ones who live here now since the tales moved out, and are downstairs gathering stuff because the fells just found their place too and are moving out later that evening. Blue runs outside and comes to a dead stop, barely managing to choke out the other’s name, and Razz whips around at the sound of his voice, and they just kind of stare at each other, then Razz laughs and Blue can physically feel his own relief because Razz wouldn’t be laughing like that if he had undone the point of LV he’d lost and if he didn’t love Blue anymore. He runs across the grass and practically jumps into Razz’s arms, and they just hold each other really tightly and Blue is crying and he can feel Razz shaking and it’s just kind of a fantastic moment for both of them. 

 

**Chapter 18 - Never**

Stretch, as tactful as ever, just like clears his throat really loudly to interrupt, and they both look over and Razz is like about to drop into attack stance but Blue stops him, telling him who the others are and leading them over. Introductions are had, and the Fells do the whole nod-as-a-greeting thing, but Stretch is just glaring between the two of them. They go inside and Razz won’t leave Blue’s side and Blue honestly doesn’t want him to, and Stretch calls the tale brothers and tells them what happened so they can tell Slim, then comes back but before he can say anything, Fell is just very tactfully like “welp we have to go move into our new place stretch can you please help us” and he gives Stretch The Glare and so Stretch doesn’t really have any other choice but is not happy with leaving his brother alone with someone he sees as a bloodthirsty abuser. Blue and Razz get the chance to talk about what’s happened, and Razz tells him what happened in his world during the past year. Basically, he only kind of managed to keep his new LV a secret, and Alphys found out and decided to try to kill him because of it but he escaped and had to go into hiding until suddenly his universe was destroyed and he was brought here. He’d been living in a cave, and now suddenly he was on the surface, and he starts to get emotional, then feels really weird about the emotions. They talk a bit about how his emotions work now, then the tale brothers and Slim appear in the living room. 

 

**Chapter 19 - Do.**

Razz and Slim just stare each other down for a moment, then Razz goes to rise to his feet and Slim immediately drops to his knees and bows his head, and Razz is like “fuck” and is trying to get Slim to ease up in a way that doesn’t sound like a command but is really just making everything worse and Papyrus tells him to back the hell off and he helps Slim to his feet and takes him out of the room and Sans is just left standing there like “wow okay then” and he’s sort of looking between them, and Blue can  _ see _ him forcing a smile and then he introduces himself to Razz. Then stretch comes back and when he hears what happened goes to help with slim. Blue’s attention is back on Razz, and he doesn’t see the heartbroken look Sans tosses at him before  following Stretch into the kitchen. Everyone but Blue and Razz (including the Fell brothers, who came back with Stretch because, as Fell says, he wanted to stop Stretch from reacting badly to something Razz might do and prevent a possible fight. They’re all just kind of hanging in there and helping to talk Slim out of the last vestiges of his panic attack, and Papyrus announces that they will be “putting out those college applications a bit earlier than expected, Sans!” and sans is kind of like “but bro we just got a place to stay how am i supposed to do the whole rent thing?” and papyrus is sitting there all thoughtfully before turning to Fell and asking, “Do you think you will be ready to proceed to the next stage of your relationship sometime in the next several months?” and Stretch is all spluttery but Fell just snorts and is like “of course” and Papyrus turns back to Sans with this giant smile on his face and the very last line is, “Oh! I know how to solve your troubles, brother! You could live with Red!”

 

**The end!**


	6. ClassicBerry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Excerpts from what would have been Chapters 12 & 13 of Seasons Change
> 
> I've had these little blurbs written for quite a while, and I've decided that I'm only going to fully write the first couple chapters of Seasons Change (up to chapter 5 I believe?) so I'm putting these in here, just in case you didn't hate Blue enough already. That also means I will likely go back and do this with other scenes. If there are any particular scenes you'd like to see written, let me know in a comment below (You can check the chapter before this one for the full plot synopsis, and see if there are any that appeal to you!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for context/a reminder, they are best friends and they just got home from a party and they're super drunk, Sans has really liked Blue for a long time, and Blue really misses Razz.
> 
> (also, this is never explicitly stated or anything? And it's probably not important unless you're paying attention to the continuity with String Theory, but my Blue is a power bottom 99% of the time and this is one of those times)

“No...no, don’t...don’t worry about it,” Blue murmured, shifting so that he could look up at the other. Sans’ eyes were closed, but the corner of his mouth was shifted up into a grimace. 

Blue couldn’t help but wonder, just for a moment, if kissing him would feel anything like kissing--

He shook his head, ridding himself of that train of thought. 

~

“Oh, zip it, Blueberry!” Sans’ tone was full of laughter, and Blue picked up a nearby pillow, sitting up fully so that he could smack the other on the top of the head with it. 

“How about you make me,  _ Sansy _ .”

Sans grinned down at him, tossing an arm behind his head in a pose of false confidence. “Hey, now, don’t go around sayin’ things like that. Someone might be tempted to actually do it.”

Letting out a snort of laughter, Blue shifted onto his knees, leaning forward so that his face was mere inches from Sans’. He was vaguely aware of the side of his leg brushing up against the other’s but he ignored it in favor of cocking a brow in a challenging sort of way. “Do what, exactly?”

Winking, Sans shot back, “Make you. There’s an awful lot of ways someone could occupy a pretty mouth like yours.”

Upon hearing his own words, Sans’ face flushed dark blue, but he didn’t drop his gaze. Blue felt his eyes hood, the fuzziness in his brain making his thoughts come sluggishly. Before he could really consider the idea, he swung one leg over the other’s lap, settling down to sit so that he was straddling Sans, bringing his face even closer as he breathed, “How about a demonstration, then?”

Sans blinked, then his eyes widened as his gaze flicked up to meet Blue’s. The light from the muffled lamp reflected across the white of his eyelights, and he could have  _ sworn _ , just for a moment, that they almost looked purple. 

“Blue, wha--”

Before he could finish the sentence, Blue was pressing forward, their teeth clinking together in a kiss. He closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around the other’s neck and pulling, keeping them locked together as Sans went completely stiff. 

Blue turned his head the barest inch, a spark of magic jumping between them at the shifting contact, and he felt Sans’ fingers light on his hips, unsure. 

They broke apart, and Blue opened his eyes, keeping his arms around the other’s neck and staying close enough that he could feel Sans’ breath against his chin. 

“Blue, what are you--”

“Don’t you want this?” he found himself asking, voice breathy as he inched forward, meeting the other’s eyes in a bare approximation of honesty. “Don’t you...don’t you like…”

“Of course I do!” Sans was quick to reassure, his voice catching on the last word. “Wait...h-how did you know that I--”

Instead of answering, Blue leaned forward again, summoned tongue brushing quickly against his teeth. This was so much easier than talking, so much easier than pretending. He could already feel the quick hum of arousal coursing through his bones, hands dropping from their place behind Sans’ head to trail down his ribs. He could imagine the scars into place, the dips and the divots and every imperfection he'd been able to feel the last time he'd done this.  

It was almost like the real thing, and he just...couldn’t hate himself for it. Not right now. 

~

“Are you-- _ hah _ \--o-okay?”

Sans’ face flushed even more, and he ducked his head as his grip on Blue’s hips tightened. “Yeah, yeah I-I’m--” His breath hitched, and he closed his eyes. “S-sorry, I’ve just...never done this before.”

~

“Blue…”

The illusion shattered, the wrong voice cutting through the fantasy, and his eyes cracked open, hips keeping up their steady movements and breath hitching against the feeling. 

Sans was looking up at him with worry in his eyes, breathing heavily as he pushed himself up to sit, an arm wrapping around Blue’s bare back and pulling him close. They both gasped at the change in position, and Blue noticed that his throat felt oddly thick. What was he--

“Blue, you’re crying.”

His movements slowed, then stopped, feeling Sans’ fingers slip between his own, feeling the weight of his gaze settling on him, full of concern. God, he was so kind. How was any version of him so kind?

They just looked at each other for a moment, Blue studying the other’s eyelights, for the first time really letting himself study the white in them. They were hazy around the edges, evidence of his arousal, but in the middle they were clear and bright. White was supposed to be an empty color, wasn’t it? In Sans’ eyes, it was beautiful. 

He...Sans  _ was _ beautiful. 

In his own way.

Blue couldn’t get himself to look away, couldn’t get himself to move, couldn’t get the tears falling down his face to stop. 

“I love you.”

It tasted like a lie, as soon as he said it. It tasted bitter, and it tasted  _ wrong _ . He tested the roll of the words against his tongue, and they felt like something weighing heavily on his soul, ready to crush him to pieces. But it came out sounding  _ real _ , and Sans’ eyelights blew out wide. 

“ _ W-wha--” _

Blue leaned forward, pressing their ribs together and tucking his face into the side of Sans’ neck where he couldn’t see his face. Sans smelled like chamomile and tomato soup and something vaguely sweet, like sugar cane. Blue stopped breathing in, just for a moment, and he felt Sans’s grip on him tighten incrementally. 

“I love you so much,” he whispered into the other’s vertebrae, his breath brushing over the bone and making Sans shiver. He could feel more tears pricking at his eyes, and he did his best to stop them from coming. When he said it like this, wrapped up in him, pretending that if he looked down, he would see purple instead of blue, it felt...it almost felt...

“Blue, I--”

He let out the rest of his breath in a shudder as Sans’ voice broke the silence, pulling away a few inches and detangling their hands as he rocked his hips forward, drawing a strangled gasp from the other before he could finish his sentence. 

~~~

Chest heaving, Blue rolled to the side. He heard Sans laugh, and his own smile fell at the sound. Before the other could see, he turned to face him, pressing into Sans’ ribcage and tossing one leg over his lap, effectively tangling their legs together. 

After a moment of hesitation, Sans’ arm wrapped around his back, pulling him in closer so that they were curled together. Happiness was spilling from his soul, and Blue could feel his own emotions picking up in response. 

As he lay there, breathing in the other’s scent and absorbing the joy that was practically filling the room, Blue almost believed that everything was going to be fine. 

Sans shifted, snagging the blanket and pulling it over the two of them before pressing a kiss to the top of Blue’s head. He couldn’t be sure, with sleep approaching this fast and the waves of contented energy flowing through him, but he thought he heard Sans murmur something into the side of his skull. It wouldn’t be until the morning when he would decipher the words. 

“I love you, too, Blue.”

~~~ (next chapter)

The first thing Blue was aware of when he woke up was the headache. He swore under his breath, starting to sit up before he froze, suddenly all to aware of another presence beside him. (ehhh establish something about ‘he’ll never be able to fill in and he’s too nice to keep dragging him along’, then he shakes sans awake)

~

Sans’ eyes were hazy when they opened, taking in the bright blue bedsheets and the white planes of Blue’s face before snapping wide. His gaze flicked up, locking onto Blue’s, and for a long moment, everything was still. 

Then his eyes filled with joy, and Blue felt something in his soul crumble. 

“Mornin’,” Sans murmured, and he pushed himself to sit up, still looking at Blue with that...that  _ happiness _ in his eyes. “Sleep well?”

This was the happiest he’d ever seen him, Blue realized. There had always been something dark, something grieving inside him, a product of what he’d gone through. What he had no idea that Blue had caused. He’d never seen Sans with this kind of hopeful anticipation, as though he was looking forward to the future, to the good he thought it would be bringing. 

It would be so  _ easy _ . 

He could just...he could tell him he had, in fact, slept well, and tell him it was only because his ‘lover’ was around. Sans  _ loved _ that sort of cheesy, romantic stuff. He could lean forward, kiss him, close his eyes to make it feel real. He could tell his brother, given the chance, that he’d found his new happiness, that Sans was the skip in his soul that was making him want to  _ live _ . Stretch would be happy, happier even than Sans, probably. 

He looked up at the hope in his best friend’s eyelights, and he wondered, just for a moment, just how much it would hurt to stay.

Then he clenched his fists, digging the blunt tips of his phalanges into his carpals, and dropped his eyes. He could practically  _ feel _ the worry coming from the skeleton at his side as he sat up, the blankets pooling over his waist as he folded his arms and stared down at his lap. They were still only inches apart, but it suddenly felt like miles.

“Sans…”

There was a hand settled on his shoulder, suddenly, and he looked up in surprise. Sans was looking at him, brows drawn together in confusion and worry. “Are you okay?”

Was he okay? 

He had no idea. It didn’t matter.

Blue could only keep eye contact for a few seconds before his eyes dropped again. “Sans, I’m so sorry.”

The hand stiffened, then the grip disappeared. When Sans spoke, his voice was quiet, still laden with worry. “Sorry for what? Because we were drunk? Blue, that was the best thing I’ve--”

Blue cut him off, shaking his head and taking a shaky breath in. “I lied to you.”

“You--”

He didn’t have to be looking at him to know the exact moment when it clicked. Sans went completely still, frozen in surprise and betrayal, presumably searching for the words to express what was going through his mind. 

“But you said--”

“I know what I said,” Blue whispered. He couldn’t look at him. He couldn’t make himself turn his head, he couldn’t see the expression on his face. He  _ couldn’t _ . 

Sans was quiet again for a long moment, the only sound in the room being the ticking of the clock on the windowsill. Blue could picture him perfectly, back stiff and eyes wide, fingers clenched into one another so tightly his joints would creak. When he spoke again, his voice was thick, filled with shame and confusion, and Blue had to look up at the ceiling to keep himself from bursting into tears. This wasn’t about him. He had no right to cry. 

“Blue, that was my...y-you...why would you…?”

He fell silent, and Blue saw the blankets shift. He pictured him clutching the sheets to himself tightly, the all-too-sudden realizations running through his mind of what Blue had just done to him. 

“ _ Why _ ?”

Why? 

That was a very good question. 

Finally, he turned to look at the other, clenching his teeth to keep denials and excuses,  _ anything _ , from spilling out. Sure enough, Sans had the blankets held to his chest protectively, staring somewhere in the vicinity of Blue’s sternum with tears of humiliation gathering in his eyes. 

“I don’t have any excuses.”

“That’s  _ bullshit! _ ” Sans exploded, meeting his eyes as anger flashed through his expression. “There has to be a reason, or you wouldn’t have...you wouldn’t have said that you lo--” he cut himself off with a strangled noise, eyes going wide and dropping to stare into his lap. “I...I thought you were...for fuck’s sake, I said it  _ back _ …”

It felt like his soul was splitting in two, watching the other. He could feel his sins crawling on his back, the guilt weighing on him so heavily he was sure to be crushed.

Sans glanced back up, searching for something in Blue’s face. When he didn’t find it, his eyes filled with new tears. He brushed them away angrily, muttering under his breath. “I’m such a fucking  _ idiot _ .”

“No!” Blue reached for the other’s shoulder, snatching his hand back just in time. It hovered there awkwardly for a moment, then he lowered it into his lap. “No, you’re not. I...I was drunk, and I was lonely, and I took advantage of you. I knew how you felt, and I knew that I could...that if I said the right things, you would...I-I just...I’ve been so...so  _ alone _ , and I--”

The other sucked in a breath sharply, eyes filling with new pain at Blue’s words. 

“Was I...Was I a fucking  _ replacement _ for that other...for...?”

Blue didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. Sans already knew, barely sparing him a glance before turning away, tossing aside the blankets and throwing his legs over the side of the bed. Blue could see his shoulders beginning to shake as he reached down, grabbing his shorts and tugging them over his hips. The broken hitch of a sob that followed made him want to reach out, fix the hurt, do anything to put the happy look from just a few moments ago back into his eyes. 

He clenched his fists in the sheets, keeping them locked in his lap as Sans stood, quickly pulling his clothes back on. He continued to cry, but kept his face carefully angled away from Blue so that he couldn’t see. 

Blue wanted to say something. He wanted to apologize again, to explain it in a way that would make it alright. But he could never make this alright, and he knew it. 

Neither of them said another word as Sans opened the door, stepping out and shutting it behind him quietly, so as not to disturb anyone else that might be home. 

Blue sat there for a moment, staring down at his hands. His eyes followed the path of one of his scars, then another, tracing his way all around his wrist, then onto the other. Then, carefully, quietly, he laid down, laying his head on his pillow and closing his eyes. His fists clenched, just for a moment, before he forced himself to relax. 

Nothing could ever replace the real thing. 

He shouldn’t have even  _ tried _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to let me know if you'd like to see any other scenes!


	7. Alternate Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Razz hadn't left the room when Fell was on his last breath?

Damn it, he didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to be here, he didn’t want to watch someone he actually  _ cared _ about turn into dust, he didn’t  _ want _ to watch this, he hated this room, he hated the  _ feeling _ in it, like they were all waiting for the world to end, why was he here, why had Blue brought him, none of these people liked him anyway, least of all Fell, what kind of stupid idea was it to just...just sit  _ vigil  _ ? They’d only been here for maybe two minutes and he already wanted out, he just wanted  _ out _ , he didn’t know what to feel he didn’t know what he was supposed to feel was he angry was he sad what  _ was _ this, why were they--

“Razz.”

He jumped violently, hands darting forward and seizing Blue by the wrists before he could touch him. Blue didn’t react, other than a subtle shift in his eyelights, letting his arms go slack before Razz could perceive him as a threat. After a moment or two of tense silence, during which Red and Stretch didn’t even seem to notice that anything was happening, Razz took a deep, shuddering breath, snatching his hands away from Blue’s as though they were on fire. “S-sorry.”

Blue watched him carefully, something unidentifiable in his eyelights, and Razz felt...something. Something, trying to cross their connection before Blue snatched it back, holding it out of reach.

“Razz, it’s okay. Do you want to go get some water?”

He was giving him an out. Razz recognized it immediately, Blue was giving him an out, all he needed to do was take it, and he could leave. He could leave, and he wouldn’t have to be here while they were just...just  _ waiting _ …

His eyes flicked back to Fell, and he felt himself deflate. 

“No, I… I need to… I want to stay.”

Razz could have sworn the expression on Blue’s face was one of disappointment, but it was gone as soon as it had come, replaced by compassion and calm. God, Razz had no idea how he was going to get through this, even with Blue by his side, as he always seemed to be.

But he couldn’t run, he couldn’t just… escape like a coward, not when it was the bravest person he’d ever met, laying here and dying. 

Blue took his hand, tugging him to the side of the bed where Red and Sans were seated, and Razz clutched at the other’s grip. It was the one thing in this room he could be sure of, the one thing he knew he would never lose. The sense of pure  _ wrongness _ in the room was working its way through his body, leaving him feeling worn despite only having been here for less than five minutes. He already felt broken, and he could see the expressions on the other’s faces that meant they felt the same, and he could feel the emotions of his soulmate running alongside his own and--

Something slammed down between their connection, hiding the flicker of something in Blue’s mind that Razz had barely even realized was there. He didn’t even have time to wonder at it before panic started to push its way through his mind. He was alone, he was by himself here in his soul and in his mind and he didn’t have Blue he couldn’t do this without Blue he  _ needed _ Blue he couldn’t--

“Razz.”

The other’s voice was softer this time, and he didn’t flinch, merely looking up to meet the other’s tear-stained eyes. Blue just watched him for a moment, then let go of his hand, reaching up and pulling his face down to eye level. “It’s all going to work out, okay?” he whispered, far too quietly for any of the others to hear. Then he pressed a kiss to Razz’s cheek. 

There was that flicker again. Some wisp of intent, something consuming Blue that he was trying very hard to conceal. More guilt? Razz couldnt tell, taking a few steps back as Blue leaned down to murmur something to Sans. 

The monitor beeped, and they all flinched, staring at it until it became obvious it was a false alarm. Then Blue straightened, flashing Razz a pained smile before he crossed the room to his brother. 

Carefully, he leaned down, speaking quietly and reaching out to brush away a tear below his little brother’s eye with his thumb. He was nodding, and Stretch turned to look up at him, confusion written across his face.

“What?”

Blue murmured again, more urgently this time, and lifted a hand to press to the side of Stretch’s skull.

“I mean...of course I love you too, but Sans, why are you--”

Leaning forward, Blue clanked his forehead against his brother’s in the same moment the machine gave another shriek. Everyone turned to look, but Razz couldn’t tear his eyes from Blue’s form. 

Several things happened at once.

Stretch cried out, reaching back toward his husband as new tears began to fall. Red tensed, eyes flickering between the machine and his brother’s face. Blue took a step back, breath shuddering as he glued his eyes to the monitor.

And Razz put the pieces together.

Time stops. 

There’s a split second, a mere fraction, where Blue can no longer hide his full intent from his soulmate. As though it was his own body, he can feel Blue’s magic rushing through him, gathering in his core in preparation to save the life of his brother’s husband. 

Blue’s going to die. 

Growing up in a universe like Razz’s, your magic has to be quick. You have to be able to exact control with complete precision and unmatched speed.  _ Especially _ someone like Razz, someone who fought and killed for a living, you need to be able to fight at a split seconds notice. His magic is definitely a hell of a lot faster than any taleverse monster’s could ever be, when they greatest threat they’ve ever faced is a shoplifter. 

It isn’t even a choice. He wants to save Fell more than he wants to do anything else, more than he himself could ever want to be alive, because if he doesn’t, Blue will die. 

His magic beats Blue’s by a millisecond, lurching him forward as a stream of purple magic flows into Fell’s chest. Blue’s soul, glowing brightly in preparation for his own transfer, finds it has nowhere to go, and the backlash of that confusion hits Blue directly, sending him to the floor in the same moment that Razz collapses to his knees. 

Sans cries out, and Razz dimly realizes that he’s trying to help him stand. Shaking him off, he forces himself forward, just in reach to cup Blue’s cheeks, turn his face so he can look straight into his eyelights. They’re extinguished, Blue himself unconsious, and Razz grits his teeth against the grating pain of his empty soul. 

Someone’s shouting, but he doesn’t care, dropping his hold on his soulmate’s face before allowing himself to curl up on the floor. He reaches for Blue’s hand, then realizes he hasn’t moved at all. His body is too heavy, weighed down by the pain, held in place by someone grabbing for his shoulder. 

He…

He felt so...

 

**Fun Facts About This Alt Path**

Fell’s LV would rise because of this soul swap, but it would also be much easier to control than his own LV, since he wasn’t the one who killed for it. In other words, he has no guilt to be protecting himself from, so he doesn’t have to rely on the LV. 

Blue wakes up in the hospital surrounded by everyone except his soulmate and is confused until he catches sight of his bedside table, which onely holds a glass jar of dust and a carefully folded purple bandana. 

Blue wouldn’t wear Razz’s bandana like Razz does with his. In the canon version, Razz wears Blue’s scarf as a reminder of every time he failed the person he loved most in the world, a sort of self-imposed punishment you could say, but it quickly becomes a sort of comfort object, something to cling to when he feels alone. To remember Razz in this version, Blue never wears his own gloves and scarf again. They remind him too much of Razz. 

Instead of moving in with his brother, like Razz does in canon, Blue would probably do something crazy. He’d stay in his own apartment, take down all of the photos with Razz in them and put them up on his dresser instead. I won’t get too far into headcanons since I won’t write this, but he would make no real attempt to acclimate to life without Razz. He got him back once, he’ll do it again or die trying. 

Slim, when he finds out, just goes completely blank for about five minutes. Then he pulls himself back, takes a deep breath, and continues. The one unselfish thing Blue ever does is to ask him if he wants anything of Razz’s, to remember him by. Slim says no. 

Blue never tells any of the others that he was the one to destroy their universes and bring them here. They never find out. 


End file.
